This is a big year for Apple, and if you follow the rumor mill, then you know it refuses to give up on this fact. It's the 10 year anniversary of the iPhone, and while some folks might not have been all that impressed with the fact the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus kept the iPhone 6's design, this year is apparently going to be quite different. Leaks and rumors all point to a major redesign, with drastically minimal bezels and the adoption of an OLED display.

And as usual, considering how early the rumors started this year for Apple's upcoming flagship, there's a lot of back-and-forth on what's going to be included. A lot of analysts seem to agree on a few things, like that aforementioned OLED panel, or even the inclusion of wireless charging in some capacity, and the lack of bezels.

But there is one part, maybe the biggest part, that they can't seem to agree on: Touch ID.

This is one thing that folks can't agree on. It's safe to assume that Apple probably (hopefully?) has this figured out by now, but the rumor mill just can't catch a break. Some analysts have had an evolving view on the subject, suggesting the feature will be integrated into the display, and then maybe Apple won't feature it at all. Meanwhile, others think Apple is working diligently on implementing the feature, dedicated so much that they might move it onto the back of the upcoming iPhone.

I do believe that Apple worked as hard as it could on making Touch ID work in the display of the upcoming flagship iPhone. I think they know people --iPhone users-- like the fingerprint sensor being on the front of their phone, and doing anything else might not work out so well for the casual fan. (I don't think it will matter what happens for the Apple diehards, for obvious reasons.)

Whether or not they figured it out, though, I'm honestly just not sure on. We've actually seen other companies unveil fingerprint readers embedded in a display, but almost immediately after that was announced analysts chimed in saying it wasn't "good enough" for an Apple product, which forced them to cast even more doubt that Apple had figured it out for their own iPhone.

All that being said, I think it's imperative that Apple has Touch ID in place. The alternative, rumors suggesting it could be facial recognition that takes the place of Touch ID, doesn't seem appealing to me at all. I think facial recognition is fine as a secondary means to unlock the handset, but for mobile payments and such? No way. A fingerprint reader is just an essential piece of the smartphone puzzle these days.

And what's funny about that, is the fact that while Apple wasn't the first, it was the iPhone that catapulted fingerprint readers to where they are now. The fact that there are so many rumors and analyst notes painting a future where Touch ID doesn't make the cut for the new flagship is disappointing.

I'll be straightforward here: If the iPhone 8 doesn't have Touch ID, it's not an option for me. I'm already not a huge fan of some of the changes that Apple has implemented in iOS 11, so removing a feature that's as important as Touch ID would be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back.

Do I think this will happen? I honestly have no idea. I don't think Apple will put Touch ID on the back of the phone, though, which severely limits the options if the company can't get the fingerprint reader integrated into the display. Apple may delay the launch of the flagship just to work out the kinks, and if that's what has to happen, then so be it.

What about you? If you use an iPhone, will you pick up the iPhone 8 if Apple doesn't include Touch ID in it? Let me know!