Apple might be bringing Touch ID back in a way nobody expected. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the first foldable iPhone will use a side-button fingerprint sensor instead of the under-display option some reports suggested.
That means no Face ID, at least in the traditional sense. On the surface, it may seem like Apple is taking a step backward, but it actually makes a great deal of sense.
Foldable phones are tricky. Apple’s reportedly planning a book-style design with a 7.8-inch inner screen and a 5.5-inch outer display.
Stuffing Face ID into that folding frame would be a serious engineering headache. A side-button Touch ID module is simple, fast, and familiar.
Apple already uses it in the iPad Air and iPad mini, and it works really well. For a device that folds in half, simplicity wins.
Another interesting thing to note is that Apple isn’t experimenting with a new fingerprint technology just yet.
Kuo says Luxshare ICT will supply the side-button sensor, which suggests Apple is sticking with proven components.
Fans can expect the kind of reliability Apple usually delivers: unlock the phone, authenticate purchases, open apps, all without a hiccup.
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Camera-wise, the foldable is expected to have a dual-lens rear camera and a front-facing camera that works both folded and unfolded.
That’s smart. Apple isn’t asking users to compromise on photography for the novelty of a folding display.
It also suggests the device will feel like a full iPhone experience even when it’s half the size. Production is reportedly set to start in the second half of 2026, with a launch scheduled for the fall.
The price is expected to be north of $2,000. That’s expensive, sure, but Apple early adopters are used to that, and this device will almost certainly be a collector’s item.
Touch ID in 2026 feels nostalgic in a way, but it’s also clever. Apple is sticking with a side-button Touch ID, which makes the foldable work without turning it into a cramped engineering mess.
Featured image credit: Ming Chi Kuo
