Rumor: Apple’s foldable iPhone may drop Face ID in favor of Touch ID in the power button

Apple’s first foldable smartphone may lose one of the iPhone’s core features: Face ID. Gizmochina reports, citing well-known leaker Digital Chat Station, that Apple is testing a prototype without facial recognition.

According to the leak, Apple is experimenting with an engineering prototype that uses a side-mounted Touch ID fingerprint scanner. The reported reason for abandoning Face ID is the company’s push to make the device as thin as possible, as the hardware required for 3D facial scanning takes up too much internal space.

For the same reason, Apple has reportedly ruled out an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. Instead, Touch ID would be integrated directly into the side power button.

What else is known about the prototype:

• Form factor: A wide, book-style foldable design, closer to the Pixel Fold or OPPO Find N than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold. When unfolded, the device is expected to resemble a compact tablet.
• Displays: A 7.58-inch main flexible display and a 5.25-inch external screen.
• Cameras: An under-display camera on the inside, with a punch-hole cutout on the outer display. The rear camera module is expected to include two 48MP sensors.

The leaker notes that the prototype’s hinge is “very strong,” a critical factor for foldable devices. The device is expected to launch next year, although Apple has not confirmed any timelines.