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iOS 7 Beta 4 Code Points to Home Button Fingerprint Sensor for iPhone 5S

Monday July 29, 2013 12:40 pm PDT by Eric Slivka
Following its 2012 acquisition of mobile security firm AuthenTec, which specialized in fingerprint sensors, Apple has been rumored to be looking to incorporate its technology into its future products. Rumors have indicated that such a sensor could be a differentiating feature for Apple's upcoming iPhone 5S, although there has so far been little in the way of solid evidence that such a feature is in the works.

But as noted by Hamza Sood, Apple's developer release of iOS 7 beta 4 today has brought a significant clue that Apple is indeed planning to bring the technology to the iPhone later this year.

ios_7_fingerprint_bundle
The evidence arrives in the form of a new code bundle in the Accessibility portion of iOS 7. The bundle, named BiometricKitUI, contains text strings related to a tutorial on how to use a fingerprint sensor on an iPhone. The relevant strings include:
- Photo of a person holding an iPhone with their left hand while touching the Home button with their thumb
- Photo of a person holding an iPhone with their right hand while touching the Home button with their thumb
- A fingerprint that changes colour during the setup process.
- Recognition is %@ complete
Several reports have indicated that incorporating a fingerprint sensor into the iPhone 5S has proven difficult for Apple, potentially limiting launch supplies of the device as production bottlenecks are worked out.

[ 237 comments ]


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shootingrubber
73 months ago

The title should read "Apple copies Samsung's fingerprint scanner"


Yeah. What about Samsung copying Apple's iPhone? Oh, they didn't right?
Rating: 31 Votes
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AngerDanger
73 months ago
I can't wait to see future rumors titled "Thumb Bandits Strike Again, iTunes Accounts Drained".
I've taken the liberty of Photoshopping the image that will most likely accompany these rumors:

Rating: 20 Votes
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abraxian
73 months ago

Really? Your fingerprints will be all over the phone, shouldn't be too difficult to lift them


That is... not how biometrics work.
Rating: 16 Votes
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hydr
73 months ago
If this is true, it´s big. If they can solve this problem, it will be the beginning of the end of all username/passwords.
Rating: 15 Votes
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Menel
73 months ago

The title should read "Apple copies Samsung's fingerprint scanner"


Which Sammy phone has a fingerprint sensor???

Pretty sure S4 and Note do not...
Rating: 13 Votes
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NickRichyRich
73 months ago
The button makes more sense to me and seems like it would be a hell of a lot easier than trying to do something like that through the screen. Either way that is really cool to see!
Rating: 11 Votes
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nazaar
73 months ago

The title should read "Apple copies Samsung's fingerprint scanner"



yes... Apple copies Samsung's every move.

hopefully you can tell I'm being EXTREMELY sarcastic.
Rating: 10 Votes
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CyberBob859
73 months ago
So, the S stands for security?
Rating: 10 Votes
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acidblue
73 months ago

Yeah. What about Samsung copying Apple's iPhone? Oh, they didn't right?


Yeah, because this has never been done before Samsung? Where have you been? A crappy Dell I had from almost 10 years ago had this. It's not new tech. Apple doesn't claim to have invented it either. You are aware they bought the company that makes these, aren't you? (http://www.phonearena.com/news/Apple-buys-biometric-security-company-AuthenTec-for-356-million-James-Bond-iPhone-to-follow_id32725)
Rating: 9 Votes
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Carniphage
73 months ago

Really? Your fingerprints will be all over the phone, shouldn't be too difficult to lift them


That won't help. The Apple technology is not optical. It reads the pattern beneath the skin.
Rating: 8 Votes

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