iPhone Fingerprint Scanner Rumored In Upgrade
Ever get annoyed with friends, family, and significant others who feel the need to snoop through your phone? Chances are just about everyone has experienced this on some level, but now, it appears that the folks at Apple have come up with an easy and very high-tech solution.
Rumor has it that the new iPhone will include thumbprint-reading functionality that will unlock the phone only when its user presses their thumb on the home button. Though unconfirmed by Apple, the rumor has gained traction from a folder found in one of the beta tests of the new phone.
In the Beta 4 edition of iOS7, a folder was found that was labeled simply "Biometric Kit." Inside that folder are various descriptions of images to be displayed on screen. Among those images were both a person holding the phone and touching the home button with their thumb, as well as a fingerprint that changes colors during setup.
"It sounds like you will simply place your thumb on the home button, a stylized fingerprint will appear on-screen while the reader analyzes your biometric whorls and ridges, and that's it -- you're registered. You can then unlock your phone by putting your thumb on the home button. No longer will friends and family be able to pick up and peruse your phone," writes Sebastian Anthony for ExtremeTech.
There have long been murmurs from Apple's fan base that such functionality would be included on either the iPhone 5S or 6, though they had been temporarily stymied by a patent filed by Apple that indicated fingerprint reading would be included on the screen itself.
It is still unlikely that such technology will be included in the 5S, as Apple usually reserves its "S" models for more minor, technical changes while waiting to introduce their revolutionary features for brand new editions. The next iPhone debut is expected to drop sometime this fall.