San Francisco, Nov 23 (IANS): Apple's iPhone 16 series will not reportedly include Touch ID fingerprint authentication technology.

The information comes from an integrated circuit expert on Weibo who has a track record of revealing information regarding Apple's plans.

In a recent post, they explained that the equipment used to manufacture chips for the iPhone's version of Touch ID has been permanently shut down, with the only remaining units used for the third-generation iPhone SE.

This suggests that Apple isn't planning to bring back Touch ID as a method of authentication on the iPhone anytime soon, reports MacRumors.

The report also noted that there are no credible rumours concerning the return of Apple's fingerprint-scanning technology for the iPhone 16 series.

According to reports, the fourth-generation iPhone SE will include Face ID, replacing the only iPhone model that still uses Touch ID.

Meanwhile, Apple has announced it will support the RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging standard on iPhones, used by most Android devices, in 2024. In a statement to 9to5Mac, the tech giant said that RCS will offer better interoperability for cross-platform messages.

"Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association. We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS," an Apple spokesperson was quoted as saying.