Next Year's iPhone Said to Include Iris Scanner to Authenticate With Your Eyes

Apple is planning to include iris scanning capabilities on the tenth-anniversary iPhone launching in 2017, according to a Chinese-language MoneyDJ report translated by DigiTimes. The latter website, citing supply chain sources, previously said the feature would not debut on iPhones until at least 2018.

iphone-iris-scanner
An iris scanner could complement or replace Touch ID as a way to verify a user's identity, enabling iPhone users to unlock their smartphone, make payments, and more by authenticating with their eyes. A person's iris, or the circular colored muscle of the eye, contains a complex and random pattern that is unique to each individual.

An iris scanner on a smartphone would not be unprecedented, as Samsung included one on the new Galaxy Note7 released earlier this month.

Taiwan-based supplier Xintec, an affiliate of Apple manufacturer TSMC, will begin mass production of iris-recognition chips in 2017, likely in an effort to secure orders from Apple and other smartphone vendors next year:

Xintec is expected to enter mass production for iris-recognition chips in 2017, which will boost the backend house's revenues for the year, the report cited market watchers as saying. New orders for iris-recognition sensors include those for the chips that will be embedded in the 2017 series of iPhone, the watchers were also quoted in the report.

Xintec said the company does not comment on rumors or speculation about specific products or customer orders.

Based on rumors, Apple's tenth-anniversary iPhone is shaping up to be a more significant upgrade compared to the iPhone 7 series expected at Apple's September 7 event. Other rumors surrounding the so-called iPhone 8 include a 5.8-inch curved OLED screen, glass casing, an embedded or completely removed home button, wireless charging, an enhanced Taptic Engine, and more.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
anker new xmas 1

Anker Kicks Off Massive Black Friday Sale With Up to 50% Off Sitewide, Free Gifts With Purchase, Mystery Boxes, and More

Thursday November 21, 2024 7:53 am PST by
Anker today kicked off its big Black Friday sale, which is set to run through December 9. This sale includes notable discounts on portable chargers, USB-C hubs, cables, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Anker. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. There are a few bonus offers during this event as ...
apple card feature2

Apple Card 3% Daily Cash Back Now Available From Two More Apple Partners

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:36 am PST by
Apple has partnered with select merchants to offer Apple Card users three percent Daily Cash back on their purchases, and two new companies were added to the partner list today. When purchasing goods and services from Booking.com and ChargePoint, Apple Card users will now get more cash back. Booking.com is a site for reserving flights, cars, cruises, and hotels, while ChargePoint sells...
Apple 2024 Black Friday Shopping Event feature

Apple Announces 2024 Black Friday Event, Offering Up to $200 Gift Card

Thursday November 21, 2024 5:10 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 29 through Monday, December 2 in many countries, including the U.S., Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.K., and others. During the event, customers can get an Apple gift card with the purchase of an eligible product. In the U.S., for instance, Apple is including gift ...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

Munky Avatar
107 months ago
Nah, just leave me with touch ID. I'm not always looking at my phone when unlocking, and it would be faster to pull it out of my pocket with my thumb on it and have it unlocked by the time it is facing up than to pull it out, turn it on, look into it, let it take it's time because I'm in a dark area, and then unlock.
Score: 48 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jsameds Avatar
107 months ago
Dear readers, moaning about lack of Mac updates is not going to make them come any sooner, so please, please stop it.

It's incredibly annoying and 99% of the time off topic.

Thank you.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
carambo Avatar
107 months ago
Who cares about iris scanner... Where is my new Macbook Pro ??
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFan1957 Avatar
107 months ago
Imagine having to stand there and scan your eye, each time you want to use ApplePay. I think I'd rather use TouchID, I look less of a pillock.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yanki01 Avatar
107 months ago


no....it's not.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WannaGoMac Avatar
107 months ago
I don't believe this rumor for a second. Iris scan is not as reliable or fast, opens Apple to "you blinded me" law suits, doesn't really improve anything, and Apple has spent years getting users used to TouchID and improving the system.

Edited i wrote retinal instead of iris
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)