Tech giant Apple is set to introduce a new line up of iPhones in the coming weeks. Several reports have emerged claiming different features of the new iPhone. But, what may surprise you is that the company has already started working on its next two iPhones. According to a new investor note by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo which was obtained by MacRumors, the iPhone 13 set to be launched in 2021, will come with both Face ID and an on-display fingerprint sensor. The prediction is based on company's patents related to fingerprint on display (FOD) and the continued use of the technology in Android smartphones, which together suggest to him that Apple will opt to bring fingerprint scanning back to its smartphone screens. 

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"In terms of technology, we predict that four critical technical issues of FOD will significantly improve in 12–18 months, including module thickness, sensing area, power consumption, and lamination yield rate. Therefore, we believe that Apple will launch the new iPhone equipped with both Face ID and FOD to enhance security and convenience thanks to the multi-biometrics," the note read. 

Apple had surprised its users by completely ditching Touch ID on its iPhone flagships of last year - the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. The company is facing tough competition from its Chinese competitors that are continuously introducing new and improved tech. 

Kuo added that Face ID and FOD are complementary and not competitive as multi-biometrics can offer secure logins where one or the other is simply unavailable. "Kuo believes that GIS and Qualcomm will benefit from iPhone's adoption of FOD, with the former providing the "large-area sensing ultrasonic" technology and the latter supplying the ultrasonic FOD module and lamination. Kuo also argues that the likelihood of FOD in iPhones will increase if Apple Watch supports a biometric function in the future," he said in the note. 

Last month, it was reported that Apple might introduce a new iPhone for the budget-conscious Chinese market. This new phone was claimed to sport an under-display fingerprint sensor, replacing the Face ID technology. Later, Barclays analysts also claimed that 2020 model iPhones will have acoustic fingerprint technology that could allow for full-screen Touch ID, following meetings with suppliers in Apple's Asian supply chain.