Apple could use Touch ID due to space constraints.
Apple’s Face ID biometric authentication technology debuted on the iPhone X
Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone, now said to be a larger book-style device, is gradually starting to take shape. Months into the numerous rumours, there was some confusion about which design approach Apple would take for its first foldable. However, recent notes from analysts and leaks have begun to suggest at a book-style design. A recent leak suggested that Apple has moved forward with its choice of a near crease-free display with Samsung being its sole supplier. Now, more details about the displays used on the foldable iPhone have surfaced.
According to a Naver blogger called ‘yeux1122', who sourced the information from Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, Apple's foldable iPhone will use a basic hole-punch camera for its first foldable. This is a departure from Apple's usual biometric authentication technology called Face ID, which has now become the standard on all iPhone models after the launch of the iPhone 16e. Turns out, Apple isn't done with Touch ID on iPhones yet, and will make use of the fingerprint-based biometric authentication technology (currently used in its affordable iPad models) for its upcoming foldable.
An earlier note by famed analyst Ming-Chi Quo also mentioned the same. He stated that the device will be a book-style foldable, which should retail between $2,000 and $2,500, and claimed that it should hit production in the fourth quarter of 2026. His note also mentioned that the 7.8-inch display would be crease-free and that the cover display would measure 5.5-inches. The device would be “9-9.5mm thick when folded and 4.5-4.8mm when unfolded.”
The new source, apart from reiterating the size of the display, also states that the cover display will sport a resolution of 2,088 x 1,422 pixels, while the larger inner display will have a resolution of 2,713 x 1,920 pixels. These display specifications aren't very different from what is being offered on Vivo's X Fold 3 Pro or Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Given that Apple still uses Touch ID embedded into the power buttons of the Magic Keyboard on MacBook and on the iPad, we expect a similar implementation on the upcoming foldable as well. Some of the technologies for the foldable iPhone are said to be borrowed from another upcoming smartphone called the iPhone 17 Air. Said to be Apple's slimmest iPhone, it will measure just 5.5mm thick. A previous report also mentions that foldable's display will have a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is similar to most Android-powered foldable devices on sale today.
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