The latest Apple handsets, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, have only been launched last September, but there are already talks about the Cupertino-based tech giant's next batch of premium smartphones. For now, the next big thing from Apple is being called the iPhone XI, read as iPhone 11. As seen with the iPhone X, it is rumored that the future Apple smartphones will be ditching the Touch ID feature for good.
Early speculations regarding the future iPhones no longer having the Touch ID came from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. As reported by Mac Rumors, Kuo claimed that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be the last Apple handsets to sport the Touch ID. The tenth anniversary iPhone X is the first handset from the company to replace the Touch ID with the new Face ID biometrics, and it appears that the iPhone XI, along with all other upcoming iPhones, will be only using the Face ID as well.
Previously, Kuo mentioned in his notes following the iPhone X reveal that the future of Touch ID is still uncertain. He stated in the past few weeks that Apple will decide whether to officially bid goodbye to Touch ID or keep it if the public's reception on iPhone X's facial recognition is positive. Although, Kuo's latest remarks show that he is pretty confident that the Touch ID era is over.
While the Face ID is almost a guarantee for the iPhone XI, there are still doubts on what name Apple will give to its next flagship phone. As reported by BGR, Apple is likely to launch two new models, the iPhone XI and the larger iPhone XI variant. There are rumors that the plus-sized iPhone XI will be known as iPhone XL or iPhone XI Plus. Regardless of what the next iPhones will be called, it is speculated that the larger iPhone XI will be the first in the iPhone series to include a stylus pen.
BGR stated that Apple is rumored to be building a partnership with a stylus-maker company to develop a pen exclusive for the large iPhone XI. It is also possible that the first-ever Apple stylus pen will not only be exclusive for a particular iPhone model, but it will be released as an accessory for all devices. The stylus-powered iPhone XI Plus is said to be ready by 2019.
