Yes, this has been a perennial rumor which is probably propagated by how much people don't like Face ID all that much. Face ID is fine when it works, and sucks when it doesn't. And mask wearing has really accelerated it being much worse, and we'll be wearing masks as a standard piece of dress for another two years I guess.

I do miss Touch ID, but that had its own problems (gloves, wet fingers). So one would hope there is a solution that has both. I'd personally be just peachy with a fingerprint sensor on the back just like the Pixel line used to have. I mean, how much is a fingerprint sensor manufacturing cost? $5?