iOS 27 Beta Code Hints New iPhone May Support Both Touch ID and UWB

As Apple's autumn product launch event approaches, code in the iOS 27 beta has revealed a feature description related to digital car keys that mentions both ultra-wideband (UWB) and Touch ID. Developer analysis of the beta code shows newly added localization strings include instructions for Touch ID-enabled devices, corresponding to an iPhone that supports both Touch ID and UWB technology. Since the iPhone 11 launched in 2019, all iPhones equipped with UWB chips have used Face ID for facial recognition, and no previous model has featured both UWB and Touch ID.

Since the iPhone X debuted in 2017, Face ID has gradually replaced Touch ID as the primary biometric method on iPhones, with most high-end Apple devices adopting facial recognition. Only some iPad models continue to feature fingerprint recognition. Apple previously integrated Touch ID into the side button on the iPad Air, embedding the fingerprint sensor into the sleep/wake key and eliminating the traditional Home button. Apple has not responded to the related speculation.