Issues with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and OLED display just won't go away for Apple and its upcoming flagship smartphone, the iPhone 8. The latest rumor regarding the iPhone 8 is that Apple is still undecided on what to do with its fingerprint scanner.
Despite the confusion surrounding the key feature, it seems safe to assume that Apple is already sold on not placing the fingerprint scanner at the back of the iPhone 8. That leaves them with the longstanding problem of how to integrate the scanner into the iPhone's edge-to-edge and bezel-less OLED display.
Timothy Arcuri, a Wall Street analyst for Cowen and Company, sent out a note and obtained by Apple Insider which indicated that Apple is pondering on three options regarding the iPhone 8's fingerprint sensor. The first is to make the cover glass right above the fingerprint sensor thinner than the rest of the display which they described as a cover glass cutout. Another scenario is to create "a pinhole through the glass for optical or ultrasonic fingerprint sensing" while the last one is to use a "film" fingerprint sensor embedded in the display instead of the AuthenTec Touch ID. The last scenario, Arcuri claims, is possible with the help of "capacitive sensors or infrared sensors based on technology from LuxVue" which is a company working on power efficient micro-LED screen technologies. Apple acquired LuxVue in April 2016.
If the new rumor is true, expect the iPhone 8 to be delayed for up to a couple of months. This means the iPhone 8 may see the light of day come November. The Cowen report slightly goes against another recent report which claims the iPhone 8 will be launched as late as October. According to CNET, Cowen has an inconsistent track record with regards to its prediction on Apple devices so it's better to wait for official announcements from Apple itself.
