14 DAY TRIAL // People close to the matter said Apple had a hard time choosing a new home for the fingerprint sensor on the next iPhone, and a new leak that reached the web today indicates there’s a good chance it’ll be placed on the back.
Late last year when the first 2017 iPhone leaks started making the rounds, there were voices claiming that Apple wanted to embed the fingerprint sensor into the screen, especially because getting rid of bezels was a priority for the company.
This priority is still on the table, but Apple has reportedly failed to integrate the sensor into the screen and started looking for alternatives, including giving up on Touch ID entirely and replacing it with facial recognition. Moving the fingerprint sensor to the back of the phone was plan B, and if we are to trust today’s photo, this is what the company wants to do right now.
Limited-edition model? Not a chance
The picture appears to be taken during the quality control stage and is just a follow-up to the leaked video that we told you about yesterday. This time, however, we get a closer look at the iPhone itself, which clearly has a round fingerprint reader on the back just like Android devices.
The print on the validation machine translates from Chinese to “laser” and “Sydney model only,” which could be an indication that this is just a limited-edition iPhone. This is very unlikely to be the case though, and there’s no chance Apple releases a model with a fingerprint sensor on the back just for certain markets.
Furthermore, SlashLeaks claims this is the iPhone 7s, but again, this doesn’t add up well to the latest speculation claiming the 7s and the 7s Plus would retain the design of the current iPhones. This means the front bezel would still be there, so Apple has no reason to move Touch ID to the back.
As always, leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt, especially because some of the details in this picture don’t seem to align with the existing rumors.