When you thought the writing was on the wall for the 2019 iPhone; a new surprise leak has suggested that Apple will be adding an Android feature that was supposed to make its way on to the 2020 Apple iPhone. A sketchy report from China claims that in order to sell more handsets and keep costs to a minimum, Apple will be using an under-display fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 11. The company plans to reduce the size of the notch by eliminating the expensive Face ID feature and fitting this biometric sensor under the display; a move which has been used on Android devices since 2018.
As per reports stemming from China, after two generations it appeared that Apple was done and dusted with the fingerprint scanner but it appears that the brand will be bringing it back once more to thwart off competition from Chinese smartphone manufacturers that are currently enjoying a monopoly in the region.
According to reports, Apple had been experimenting with a different sort of under-display sensor; however, none of them managed to live up to the brand’s lofty expectations. Apple has reportedly found a solution that they are satisfied with and will be utilizing it on a budget iPhone that features an OLED display and extremely slim bezels. By using this technology, Apple will offset the costs of incorporating the pricey Face ID, a feature that was first introduced with the iPhone X.
A report by GSMArena claims that Chinese consumers opt for flagship models in the USD 730 price bracket and the iPhone XR hasn’t been popular there. This is probably why Apple is planning on introducing a smartphone dedicated just for the Chinese market.
The report ends by stating that the authenticity of this leak is up for debate as Apple has never done a single market phone in the past; however, manufacturing such a smartphone isn’t out of the question. If Apple does manufacture an iPhone with this feature, several other markets will be interested in it as well.
An interesting point to note is that last year, Apple introduced a dual-SIM version for China. Unlike the e-SIM feature that was launched for global markets, the Chinese iPhone XS/XS Max had the ability to use two physical SIM cards. This handset was made available just for China; so, Apple definitely does regard the country as an important market. Therefore, launching a smartphone with China-specific features isn’t out of the question.
Disclaimer: The above report is completely based on online rumours and leaks from the respective sources. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of The Asian Age and/or other staff and contributors to this website.
