Touch ID is back with the iPhone 13 and may help tackle awkward biometrics in the age of COVID-19 and mask-wearing

This is according to a Wall Street Journal report that "two former Apple employees" said Apple is considering including both Face ID and Touch ID on the next iPhone Such a change would mark a departure from the Face ID-only iPhones that began with the 2017 iPhone X and are a feature of the current iPhone 12 series

However, this does not mean a return to the thick bezel at the bottom of the display, where fingerprint sensors were used on devices like the iPhone 8 Instead, Apple will reportedly switch to an in-screen fingerprint reader

This is a feature that has been available on high-end Android devices for the past few years, but not yet on iOS-based devices Interestingly, Apple may not follow Samsung's lead and adopt Qualcomm's ultrafast ultrasonic fingerprint recognition technology, which is featured on the Samsung Galaxy S21

Qualcomm declined WSJ's request for comment, but a former Apple employee said the company was using optical sensors instead because they are perceived as more reliable than ultrasonic technology An Apple patent last year outlined how the optical sensor could detect fingerprints placed anywhere on the screen

The source stressed that any in-screen fingerprint sensor would have to match the security standards of Touch ID, which is implemented in the iPhone SE, certain iPads, and some MacBooks

The overall gist of the article is that most of the new and exciting features of the iPhone 13 have already been seen in Samsung's excellent Galaxy S21 series However, the periscope zoom camera may not make it to this year's iPhone 13

Apple may be following in Samsung's footsteps, but the above features would be a great set of upgrades for the iPhone series given that the iPhone 12 Pro Max is our top pick for the best phone you can get right now, these rumored upgrades promise to deliver another great Apple smartphone