iPhone home button fingerprint scanner described in latest iOS 7 beta
Apple's latest iOS 7 beta includes a reference to a "Biometric Kit," offering the strongest evidence yet that the company's next iPhone will include a built-in fingerprint scanner underneath the home button.
A folder entitled "BiometricKitUI.axb" was discovered in iOS 7 beta 4 on Monday by Hamza Sood. A text string accompanying the folder describes an image showing a person "holding an iPhone with their right hand while touching the Home button with their thumb."
Another string of text shows that the system will inform users on the completion status of scanning their fingerprint, presumably counting up to 100 percent.
The rumored "iPhone 5S" feature is believed to be powered by Apple's $356 million acquisition of AuthenTec last summer. The firm described that its "semiconductor-based sensors are based on both capacitive and radio frequency (RF) technology that detects an image of the fingerprint ridge and valley pattern beneath the surface of the skin, thus capturing sharp and clear fingerprint patterns from the live layer."
"This approach, which is in marked contrast with optical, thermal and other solutions that simply read the surface of the skin, gives AuthenTec sensors significant advantages in image quality and in the protective coatings that the sensor can image through."
"This could allow Apple to supercharge its iOS Home button, enabling users to initiate different tasks (such as launching specific apps, Siri or Spotlight search; call a particular favorite contact; start a specific playlist or ask for directions to get home) with different fingers," our report stated.
"In addition," it detailed, "AuthenTec's Smart Sensor can also be used to provide touch-based navigation, functioning as a 'precise cursor control for text editing,' with support for '360 degree mouse navigation,' 'optical joystick emulation,' or as a 'unique turbo-scroll feature for rapid browsing of long emails, contact lists or websites,' according to public information released by the firm prior to its acquisition."
In January, well-connected insider Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities cited sources as confirming that Apple was planning to include a fingerprint sensor underneath the home button in this year's iPhone upgrade.
According to Kuo, users will simply place their thumb over the iPhone's home button when prompted. This will allow the device to identify the user for various tasks such as entering passwords or authorizing purchases.
AuthenTec's "Smart Sensor" component is believed to be the key piece of technology Apple was interested in acquiring. That product measured just 1.3 millimeters thick while being able to scan 500 pixels per inch.
A folder entitled "BiometricKitUI.axb" was discovered in iOS 7 beta 4 on Monday by Hamza Sood. A text string accompanying the folder describes an image showing a person "holding an iPhone with their right hand while touching the Home button with their thumb."
Another string of text shows that the system will inform users on the completion status of scanning their fingerprint, presumably counting up to 100 percent.
The rumored "iPhone 5S" feature is believed to be powered by Apple's $356 million acquisition of AuthenTec last summer. The firm described that its "semiconductor-based sensors are based on both capacitive and radio frequency (RF) technology that detects an image of the fingerprint ridge and valley pattern beneath the surface of the skin, thus capturing sharp and clear fingerprint patterns from the live layer."
"This approach, which is in marked contrast with optical, thermal and other solutions that simply read the surface of the skin, gives AuthenTec sensors significant advantages in image quality and in the protective coatings that the sensor can image through."
A supercharged Home button
AppleInsider noted last August that Authentec's AES850 component, called "the world?s smallest authentication/navigation smart sensor in a durable package," appeared capable of serving as an iPhone Home button."This could allow Apple to supercharge its iOS Home button, enabling users to initiate different tasks (such as launching specific apps, Siri or Spotlight search; call a particular favorite contact; start a specific playlist or ask for directions to get home) with different fingers," our report stated.
"In addition," it detailed, "AuthenTec's Smart Sensor can also be used to provide touch-based navigation, functioning as a 'precise cursor control for text editing,' with support for '360 degree mouse navigation,' 'optical joystick emulation,' or as a 'unique turbo-scroll feature for rapid browsing of long emails, contact lists or websites,' according to public information released by the firm prior to its acquisition."
In January, well-connected insider Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities cited sources as confirming that Apple was planning to include a fingerprint sensor underneath the home button in this year's iPhone upgrade.
According to Kuo, users will simply place their thumb over the iPhone's home button when prompted. This will allow the device to identify the user for various tasks such as entering passwords or authorizing purchases.
AuthenTec's "Smart Sensor" component is believed to be the key piece of technology Apple was interested in acquiring. That product measured just 1.3 millimeters thick while being able to scan 500 pixels per inch.
Comments
People were suggesting that technology on this forum for the home button long before January.
Maybe with this + NFC, Passbook will be a functional app finally
Quote:
Well-connected insider Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities was first to reveal in January that Apple is allegedly planning to include a fingerprint sensor underneath the home button in this year's iPhone upgrade. The rumored "iPhone 5S" feature is believed to be powered by Apple's acquisition of AuthenTec last year for $356 million.
So basically he just simply adjusted the previous rumors about how this very thing was going to be in the iPhone 5 and changed it to the 5S after the previous rumors were shown to be wrong. What is the amazing revelation in that?
That biometrics thing could also be for iwatch or other wearable devices.
Then I see what Samsung will do next,
Invent a keychain with NFC chip,
Bump it with the phone to unlock it.
Make an Ad having bunch of people in front of Apple store,
And that's is Galaxy S5.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dugbug
I would imagine this complements your actual password rather than replaces it as you still need to enter a password on your mac. It does have one attribute a password does not: it cannot be shared.
I'm sure there will be options in Settings for how you want to use the fingerprint unlock. It would be wise to still have a passcode option especially if you have someone else using your phone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slurpy
Would be so awesome not having to enter passwords 73,293 times a day.
Impossible!
Amazing revelation? He's usually accurate, there's no revelation about it. Quit trying to be such an ass, and spank yourself for being wrong.
No more pin, e-mail/passwords, etc. A secure system. Truly a step forward. YES!
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndrewofArabia
The usefulness of this depends a lot on how quickly the scanning happens. Nobody wants to hold down for 5 seconds waiting for their phone to open.
There's no reason it would take 5 seconds.
The bigger question is...which iPhone is this feature going to be available? I doubt iPhone 5S will have it, maybe 6 or 6S then.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
Apple's latest iOS 7 beta includes a reference to a "Biometric Kit," offering the strongest evidence yet that the company's next iPhone will include a built-in fingerprint scanner underneath the home button.
This will be one of those things that prevents margin erosion - by both Android knockoffs and the "cheap" iPhone.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AndrewofArabia
Amazing revelation? He's usually accurate, there's no revelation about it. Quit trying to be such an ass, and spank yourself for being wrong.
He's not accurate. He simply shifts the product and/or release date until eventually he might be right about a rumor. And in this case he simply used hindsight to change the previous rumor from 5 to 5S. That's about it. He's no more accurate than a expert colder reader pretending to be a spirit medium.