For months, reports have alleged that Apple is testing in-display Touch ID technology using an optical fingerprint scanner. Now, The Wall Street Journal is piling on, by claiming it's heard from two former Apple employees that a new optical Touch ID may be deployed alongside Face ID.

One former employee, who previously worked on Touch ID, said the optical version is possibly more reliable than technologies that use ultrasonic. However, the same source claimed Apple would not roll out an optical fingerprint sensor until it's as secure as the current Touch ID sensor.

Touch ID is currently available on the iPhone SE, iPad, and MacBooks. It's also available via the sleep/wake button on the iPad Air 4.

If you doubt the next iPhone will feature both Face ID and a version of Touch ID using an optical fingerprint scanner built into the display, consider that most people have to wear a mask every day, and that makes it hard to unlock an iPhone with Face ID alone. Although Apple is now beta-testing a version of Face ID in iOS 14.5 that supports masks, it does require a user to be wearing an unlocked Apple Watch at the same, which isn't very seamless or handy. 

Bloomberg, too, thinks Apple has already started testing an in-display version of Touch ID. It even claimed the 2021 iPhone could come with an in-screen fingerprint sensor. Cryptic-but-reliable leaker L0vetodream also seems to believe Apple is developing an iPhone with an in-display Touch ID sensor.  

For more rumours about the next iPhone, thought to be called iPhone 13, check out Pocket-lint's round-up guide here.