Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone is reportedly taking shape around a controversial design choice: leaving out the company’s signature Face ID hardware to keep the device as thin as possible. Instead of the familiar TrueDepth camera array, the foldable model is said to rely on an under-display fingerprint system for biometric security, effectively reviving Touch ID in a new form and marking a major shift in how users would unlock a flagship iPhone.
If the reports hold, the move would represent a rare reversal for Apple, which has spent years positioning 3D facial recognition as the gold standard for secure, seamless authentication on its premium phones. It would also signal how aggressively the company is willing to reshape core features when industrial design and new form factors collide.
What the New Foldable iPhone Reports Actually Say
The latest reporting on Apple’s foldable iPhone describes a device that is being engineered around the absence of Face ID rather than treating it as an afterthought. One detailed account states that Apple is “avoiding Face ID” in order to keep the foldable iPhone thin, explicitly tying the omission of the TrueDepth camera array to the physical constraints of a folding chassis. According to this report, the decision is framed as a deliberate design trade-off, not as a sign that the existing 3D facial recognition system has failed or become obsolete, which matters for users who have come to associate Face ID with the most secure tier of Apple hardware.
Separate coverage of the same device reinforces that Apple is exploring alternative biometric methods instead of its current 3D facial recognition system. In that reporting, the foldable iPhone is described as a model that may ditch Face ID entirely in favor of a different unlocking method, with the change presented as a structural part of the product rather than a niche variant. For customers and developers, that kind of shift would mean adapting to a flagship iPhone that behaves differently at the lock screen and in sensitive apps, even if the broader iOS ecosystem continues to support both facial and fingerprint authentication.
Why Apple Reportedly Wants a Thinner Foldable iPhone
The claim that Apple is avoiding Face ID to keep the foldable iPhone thin links the omission directly to device thickness, suggesting that the TrueDepth module would make the chassis bulkier than Apple is willing to accept. In the report that explicitly states Apple is “avoiding Face ID,” the TrueDepth camera array is treated as a substantial physical component, one that would complicate efforts to build a foldable device with a sleek profile and a hinge mechanism that does not feel heavy or top-loaded. For a company that has repeatedly prioritized thinness and weight in products like the iPad Pro and MacBook Air, this kind of constraint is not just cosmetic, it shapes how comfortable the device feels in one hand and how durable it can be when folded and unfolded over time.
Additional reporting on how the foldable iPhone may ditch Face ID indicates that Apple is prioritizing a sleek, ultra-slim profile that aligns with its existing premium hardware. The foldable iPhone thinness focus underscores how industrial design constraints are shaping core feature decisions, with the device’s overall silhouette and hinge engineering apparently taking precedence over preserving the full Face ID hardware stack. For users, that emphasis on thinness could translate into a foldable that feels closer to a standard iPhone in pocket and in hand, rather than a thick experimental gadget, but it also means accepting a different primary biometric system than the one that has defined high-end iPhones since the iPhone X.
How Users Might Unlock a Foldable iPhone Without Face ID
Coverage of the device notes that the foldable iPhone may ditch Face ID, and that this is how you could unlock it, by relying on an under-display Touch ID-style fingerprint reader as the primary alternative. In that account, the fingerprint system is not a fallback or secondary option, it is described as the main way users would authenticate, replacing the role Face ID currently plays on models like the iPhone 15 Pro. That would bring Apple closer to the approach already taken by Android flagships that use in-screen fingerprint sensors, but with the added expectation that Apple will tune the experience to match the speed and reliability users have come to expect from Face ID.
The same report on unlocking the foldable iPhone describes the system as being integrated directly beneath the screen rather than in a side button or rear sensor, which has important implications for both design and usability. By embedding Touch ID under the display, Apple can keep the outer surfaces of the foldable iPhone clean and uninterrupted, avoiding the need for a dedicated fingerprint pad on the frame or back panel. For users, that placement would allow authentication from multiple grip positions, whether the device is opened flat for tablet-style use or partially folded for video calls, while still preserving the full-screen aesthetic that has become standard on modern iPhones.
What This Change Means for Apple’s Biometric Strategy
The suggestion that a foldable iPhone may ditch Face ID raises immediate questions about whether Apple will maintain different biometric standards across its product line. If the foldable model ships with under-display Touch ID as its primary authentication method while conventional iPhones continue to rely on Face ID, Apple would be managing a split strategy at the top end of its lineup. That kind of divergence could influence how developers design security flows in banking apps, password managers, and enterprise tools, since they would need to account for flagship devices that authenticate with a face and others that authenticate with a fingerprint.
By reportedly avoiding Face ID to keep the foldable iPhone thin, Apple would be trading its signature 3D facial recognition for a more space-efficient sensor, potentially signaling a new direction for future devices. The reports on the foldable iPhone’s unlocking method highlight how form-factor experiments are pressuring Apple to rethink long-standing hardware choices, suggesting that the company is willing to prioritize structural engineering and ergonomics over strict continuity in biometric hardware. For users and investors, that willingness to adjust course shows that Apple sees foldable devices not as simple extensions of the current iPhone template, but as platforms that may require their own design language and security trade-offs.
Design Trade-offs and User Expectations Around Security
The report that claims Apple is avoiding Face ID to keep the foldable iPhone thin makes clear that industrial design is not just about aesthetics, it is directly influencing which sensors can fit inside the device. By treating the TrueDepth module as a component that would make the chassis bulkier, Apple is effectively acknowledging that some of its most advanced hardware cannot be transplanted into a foldable form factor without compromise. For users who have grown accustomed to Face ID’s convenience in situations like Apple Pay at retail terminals or quick logins to apps such as 1Password, the shift to under-display Touch ID would require a recalibration of habits, even if the underlying security level remains high.
At the same time, the reporting that the foldable iPhone may ditch Face ID and instead rely on an under-display fingerprint reader suggests that Apple is not backing away from strong biometric security, but rather reconfiguring it to fit a new physical template. An in-screen Touch ID system could offer advantages in scenarios where Face ID struggles, such as when a user is wearing a mask or holding the phone at an odd angle while the device is partially folded on a desk. For Apple’s broader biometric strategy, the move would demonstrate a willingness to mix and match authentication methods across devices, using the form factor as the primary driver of which technology is most appropriate rather than insisting on a single universal solution.
How a Foldable iPhone Could Reshape the Premium Market
The thinness-focused design described in the report that claims Apple is avoiding Face ID to keep the foldable iPhone thin positions the device as a direct competitor to the slimmest foldables already on the market, rather than a bulky first attempt. By prioritizing a sleek, ultra-slim profile typical of its premium hardware, Apple is signaling that it wants the foldable iPhone to feel like a natural extension of the current iPhone lineup, not a niche experiment. That approach could raise expectations across the industry, pushing rivals to refine their own foldable designs to match Apple’s emphasis on thinness and seamless hardware integration.
Meanwhile, the account that explains how the foldable iPhone may ditch Face ID and instead use an under-display Touch ID-style fingerprint reader shows how Apple might differentiate its foldable not just through hardware polish, but through a distinct security experience. If the foldable iPhone becomes the first flagship Apple phone in years to rely primarily on Touch ID, it could attract users who prefer fingerprint authentication while still offering the high-end materials and performance associated with the iPhone brand. For the broader premium smartphone market, that combination of a thin foldable form factor and a reimagined biometric system could reset expectations about what a top-tier device should look like and how it should unlock, influencing design decisions well beyond Apple’s own ecosystem.
Unverified based on available sources.
For readers tracking the specifics, the report that claims Apple is “avoiding Face ID” in order to keep the device thin can be found in coverage of the foldable iPhone thinness focus, which directly links the omission of the TrueDepth module to chassis thickness. The complementary account that details how the foldable iPhone may ditch Face ID and instead rely on an under-display fingerprint reader is laid out in reporting on how the foldable iPhone may ditch Face ID and how you could unlock it, which describes the under-display Touch ID-style system as being integrated directly beneath the screen.
