Does iPhone 13 Have Touch ID? What You Should Know Before Buying
Apple equipped the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro with a host of exciting features/upgrades — but is Touch ID among them? While the initial reaction to the iPhone 13 series was that it was a 'boring' upgrade for Apple, it's since been proven that the 2021 handsets have a surprising amount to offer. The cameras are better than ever, battery life is substantially improved, and the displays look gorgeous (especially with the 120Hz setting on the 13 Pro lineup). For anyone shopping for a new iPhone right now, it's hard to go wrong with anything in the iPhone 13 family.
As well-crafted as the iPhone 13 is, the rumor mill leading up to its launch teased a few features that didn't make the cut. It was reported that the iPhone 13 would feature an always-on display, USB-C charging, and possibly 120Hz refresh rates for every single model — all things that aren't true of the final products. Another big rumor for the iPhone 13 was that it would have a Touch ID fingerprint sensor somewhere, either under the display or built into the power button. This got many folks looking forward to an iPhone 13 with Face ID and Touch ID available on one device. So, is that what actually happened?
Unfortunately, the short answer is no. As convenient as it would be for Apple to integrate Touch ID into an iPhone along with the usual Face ID sensors, that's simply not the case. There's no fingerprint sensor underneath the screen, nothing in the power button, or anywhere else on the phone. Just like the iPhone 12, 11, XS, and X that came before it, the iPhone 13 relies solely on Face ID for biometric authentication.
According to a lot of folks online, not including Touch ID on the iPhone 13 was a huge miss for Apple. Face ID is still a great feature, but in a world where many people wear masks while out in public, having Touch ID would also be incredibly convenient. At home without a mask? Use Face ID. Out and about with a mask? Use Touch ID. It's a concept that sounds foolish for Apple to ignore. However, there are probably some very good reasons why that's not how the iPhone 13 turned out.
For one thing, including Touch ID and Face ID would have been an added cost for Apple. Two forms of biometric sensors are more expensive than one, and for a company that values high profit margins, it makes sense that it would avoid an extra expense if it wasn't necessary. It's also important to consider how Apple would implement Touch ID on a device like the iPhone 13. If it was placed in the power button, it would require Apple to completely redesign its first-party cases to make the sensor available. The other option would have been hiding it underneath the display, but in-screen fingerprint sensor technology likely isn't good enough for Apple's standards.
None of this is to defend Apple's choice of not including Touch ID on the iPhone 13. Instead, it should provide some insight into how Apple justified not including the functionality. In Apple's eyes, it was likely an unneeded expense, something that would create a less-than-perfect user experience, and an issue it's already addressed with its Apple Watch workaround. One can hope a future iPhone finally combines Face ID and Touch ID together, but the iPhone 13 is not that device.
Source: Apple