iPhone 2018 release date, news, rumors: All of Apple's upcoming handsets this year will feature Face ID

Launch event of Apple's current handset flagship, the iPhone XReuters/Stephen Lam

It looks like Apple is ready to put its face-recognition technology forward with its upcoming lineup of iPhone devices this 2018. According to the latest reports, the Cupertino-based tech giant will incorporate the Face ID feature in all of its handsets this year. With this, the Face ID will no longer be exclusive to the iPhone X and Apple's next flagship, the iPhone XI or iPhone X2. 

It has been reported that Apple is planning to make the Face ID system the top choice in unlocking the iPhone. In fact, the company is said to have partnered with LG to supply the components needed for the facial-recognition technology. Apple is rumored to have huge orders of Face ID components for this year, which could mean that the feature will not only be present in the company's flagship iPhone lineup but also for the low-tier models as well.

So far, only the iPhone X boasts the Face ID technology, while the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are still stuck with the Touch ID feature. That is expected to change this year as every single iPhone arriving this year will have the Face ID instead, and it is probably the time to say farewell to the traditional fingerprint scanning to unlock the phone. To note, there are at least three iPhone 2018 variants set to arrive, the two being the regular and plus size versions of the iPhone X successor, and one being the budget-friendly LCD variant. 

Meanwhile, the South Korean tech publication ET News has tipped that the iPhone 2018 models will feature a smaller notch area compared with that of the iPhone X. It is reported that Apple is developing a new design for the upcoming iPhone, in which there will be no need of a notch to house the front camera, infrared sensor for Face ID, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, dot projector, flood illuminator, speaker and microphone.

Some users have already raised their concern about the iPhone X notch, saying that this feature somehow affects the all-screen design of the handset. It is uncertain how Apple could reduce, or even remove completely, the notch in the upcoming iPhone 2018 devices, but this is something that the people are looking forward.

The iPhone 2018 handsets are likely to be announced at Apple's next keynote event this September.