We haven’t even seen the 2021 iPhone lineup yet, but that isn’t stopping the rumor mill from looking ahead. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back with another note, outlining what he expects to see from Apple next year. And it looks like Touch ID may get its time in the limelight again soon enough.
Apple hasn’t given up on Touch ID by any means. It’s still the primary (only) biometric security option on some of Apple’s current devices. And there are plenty of people out there who wish the option was available on devices where Face ID is the only option. And sure enough, Apple may be going down that route.
According to Kuo’s latest investors note (via MacRumors), the analyst believes Apple is going to bring Touch ID back into the iPhone lineup in 2022. Not every model may reintroduce the feature, though. If Apple does bring Touch ID back into the fold, it will be an under-the-screen option. And that means it may be reserved for the Pro models in the lineup.
Kuo goes on to say that he expects Apple will bring four new iPhones to the market again next year. And, as noted in the past, Apple is making a change to screen sizes. This year will probably be the last with a 5.4-inch iPhone, with Kuo expecting Apple to switch to just two screen sizes next year: 6.1- and 6.7-inch models.
So that means we’ll get a 6.7-inch non-Pro iPhone in 2022. However, even with its big screen size, it probably won’t feature the same elements that will make the Pr0 phones different (and more expensive). That includes the under screen Touch ID feature.
Meanwhile, the investors note says that Apple will adopt an improved wide-angle camera with a 48-megapixel sensor in the 6.1- and 6.7-inch Pro models.
New iPhone SE
Apple is going to adopt a new iPhone SE model in early 2022, too, according to Kuo. That model is still expected to feature 5G connectivity and a new processor under the hood. Kuo also believes that Apple will make the iPhone SE with 5G the “cheapest 5G iPhone ever.” That’s obviously impressive in its own right, even if Apple’s lineup of 5G iPhones isn’t all that long. Even in 2022.