I'm gutted Apple's dropped my favorite i Phone feature, but it might return this year | Tech Radar

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I'm gutted Apple's dropped my favorite i Phone feature, but it might return this year

Touch ID is the best hardware feature Apple’s introduced on i Phone

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C'mon Tim, please bring Touch ID back to i Phone (Image credit: Getty Images)

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I still believe Touch ID is the best hardware feature Apple’s introduced on the i Phone, and compared to the Android implementations of the time, it was head and shoulders above the competition in 2013.

In the years since, we’ve seen Apple bring its fingerprint scanning technology to i Pad and Mac. In fact, just a few weeks ago Apple delivered the excellent Mac Book Neo, with the 512GB configuration offering Touch ID for easy, secure unlocking.

To borrow an iconic Steve Jobs phrase, it just works.

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Yet, Apple has dropped Touch ID across its entire i Phone fleet, with Face ID the preferred biometric sensor of choice. All is not lost though, and rumors have me hopeful that we’ll see Touch ID make a return on at least one i Phone model in 2026.

It’s fair to say there was some skepticism around Touch ID when Apple first unveiled it on the i Phone 5S, with some fans disappointed with its inclusion instead of features such as a larger screen or NFC.

Apple wasn’t the first to include a biometric scanner on a phone. Yet in 2013, fingerprint scanners weren’t prevalent among competitors, and those that had the feature either provided a cumbersome implementation that was difficult to use (hello HTC One Max), or failed to gain traction in the market (who remembers the Motorola Atrix?)

So Touch ID was in, something the i Phone 5S’ key competitors didn’t have. What the likes of the Galaxy S4 and HTC One did offer though were the larger screens and NFC connectivity some Apple fans were calling for.

Touch ID debuted on the i Phone 5S (Image credit: Getty Images)

However, perceptions around Touch ID quickly changed when the i Phone 5S started to land in people’s hands — including mine. When our unit arrived in the Tech Radar office I fell in love with the technology, and I was jealous of my colleague reviewing it as I was charged with the Touch ID-less i Phone 5C review.

Touch ID just made sense. It fell seamlessly under my thumb and was easy to use. There was no complicated explanation or convoluted setup required — it did exactly what Apple promised, and it forced the rest of the market to play catch-up.

While I do miss Touch ID on the i Phone, I don’t miss the home button it was embedded in. I’m all for full-screen phones with minimal bezel, and under-screen fingerprint scanners dominate the Android phone market to facilitate this design. These days they work exceptionally well, too.

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Apple’s reluctance to follow this trend and stick with Face ID is one of its more surprising moves, as the fingerprint technology is well established and there isn’t a cost barrier to speak of, as even many of the best cheap phones come with an under-screen digit reader.

Don’t get me wrong, Face ID works well, is popular with many i Phone users, and has its own advantages. It's especially useful if your fingers are wet, dirty, or covered by gloves, but I find there's something reassuring about the tactility of Touch ID — plus someone can't just pick up your i Phone and hold it to your face to unlock.

Most of the time our phones are already in our hands, and require a finger to operate them, so having a fingerprint scanner available still makes sense from a practicality standpoint.

Many premium Android rivals offer both biometric options; under-screen fingerprint scanning, and facial recognition, giving the user the choice of which one to use. As someone who prefers fingerprint scanners, this is the route I choose when using Android devices.

Face ID has replaced Touch ID on every model of i Phone (Image credit: Getty Images)

Apple’s always been about simplifying choices, so offering just Face ID on the i Phone falls in line with the firm’s ‘our way or the highway’ style of doing things. I get it, but Touch ID hasn’t been phased out on Mac and i Pad (not yet at least), which shows it’s a technology customers are familiar with and comfortable using.

There is potential light at the end of the tunnel though. Rumors that popped up around Apple’s 50th anniversary heavily suggested that we’ll see the i Phone Fold – Apple’ first foldable smartphone – launch later this year. And yes, it’s tipped to come with Touch ID.

In early 2025, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – who has a pretty good track record with Apple predictions – suggested that the foldable i Phone would come with Touch ID built into a side-button.

This is the common location on foldable phones, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Oppo Find N6 all featuring side-mounted power keys with a fingerprint scanner. It means the key is always accessible on the right side of the phone, whether you’re using the outer (folded) or inner (unfolded) display. An under-screen scanner, or Face ID, would require two sensors, one on each screen, which certainly feels like overkill.

Apple isn’t a stranger to this setup either, as you’ll find a 'power key-Touch ID' combo on recent models of the i Pad, i Pad Air and i Pad Mini.

And look, I’m pleased Touch ID could be making a comeback, but I’ve had varying levels of success using these side-mounted scanners.

I have a fifth generation i Pad Air, and the Touch ID sensor built into the power key can be hit-and-miss. Meanwhile, the under-screen scanners I’ve used on flagship phones in recent years have been flawless.

Then, later last year, rumors started to circulate that the foldable i Phone might offer a Touch ID scanner in the screen. My initial excitement over this development was swiftly quashed however, as Kuo was quick to refute these claims.

Six months ago, I predicted the foldable i Phone would use side-button Touch ID. There are now market rumors that it will adopt an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, but I think that’s unlikely. It’s expected that Luxshare ICT will supply the side-button Touch ID module… https://t.co/Ks Gu 49JXk PSeptember 1, 2025

Six months ago, I predicted the foldable i Phone would use side-button Touch ID. There are now market rumors that it will adopt an under-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, but I think that’s unlikely. It’s expected that Luxshare ICT will supply the side-button Touch ID module… https://t.co/Ks Gu 49JXk PSeptember 1, 2025

If the i Phone Fold does reintroduce Touch ID to the i Phone family later this year, it looks set to be a similar implementation to the one you’ll find on the non-Pro i Pads (which now have Face ID), with the sensor built into the power button.

So long as the accuracy and speed can match the current crop of under-screen scanners, I’ll welcome the return of Touch ID with open fingers.

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John has been a technology journalist for more than a decade, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs, and appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC, and BBC Radio 4.

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• I'm gutted Apple's dropped my favorite i Phone feature, but it might return this year