It's been widely predicted that the iPhone Ultra's chassis will be too thin for Face ID, but now code references in the iOS 27 beta back up the presumption that Touch ID will be used instead.
Face ID was introduced with the iPhone X in 2017 and Apple has been steadily adding it to devices ever since. There has been one notable exception with the iPad Air sticking to Touch ID, and now it appears confirmed that the iPhone Ultra will be the same.
According to prolific code examiner "pdfu," Apple has added what looks like certain proof that the iPhone Ultra will use Touch ID. It comes in a section concerning Car Key, and "pdfu" says that since the fourth developer beta, iOS 27 has had a second option.
At the top of the listing, there is now a localization string that is for an iPhone that has Touch ID and Ultra Wideband (UWB). Touch ID is referenced in the following and older line, but that expressly mentions UWB.
As noted in the tweet, all current iPhone models that have a UWB processor also have Face ID. So it's not absolute proof, but it is as close as it can be until Apple announces the iPhone Ultra on September 9, 2026.
What this means for the iPhone Ultra
When Apple brought Touch ID to the iPad Air's sleep/wake button, it was a marvel of engineering. It was so clever that rumors of it coming were simply not believed.
But what it accomplished was that the iPad Air could lose the old home button. Its display was now practically the entire front of the device, yet there was still a clear distinction between it and the more expensive iPad Pro with Face ID.
So Touch ID enabled Apple to position the iPad Air in the middle of its range for both performance and price. That's not the case with the iPhone Ultra, because just by price alone, the foldable phone will be the most expensive iPhone ever made.
Consequently it means buyers paying more for older technology, in this one respect. That doesn't seem to concern people who've already tried it out, however.
