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iPhone 6 Fingerprint Sensor Production Set to Gear Up in Q2 with Increased Efficiency

Tuesday January 14, 2014 7:05 am PST by Eric Slivka
iphone_5s_touch_idApple's iPhone fingerprint sensor supplier TSMC is preparing to begin production on sensors for the iPhone 6 in the second quarter of this year, according to a report from Digitimes. The report claims that TSMC will be shifting to a larger 12-inch fab from the current 8-inch fab, a move that should increase production efficiency. TSMC will also handle the packaging process for the sensors itself rather than contracting out to other firms, centralizing control over the component.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reportedly will begin producing fingerprint sensors for Apple's next-generation iPhone at its 12-inch fab using a 65nm process in the second quarter of 2014, according to industry sources. [...]

TSMC has been fabricating the fingerprint sensors for iPhone 5s at its 8-inch fabs, while outsourcing the backend services to Xintec, China Wafer Level CSP and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE).
The Touch ID fingerprint sensor was reported to be the primary factor contributing to very tight supplies of the iPhone 5s at its launch last September, with low yield rates at packaging firm Xintec and iOS 7-sensor integration slowing production. With several of those issues now ironed out and TSMC able to get an earlier start on sensor production for the next-generation iPhone, that bottleneck on launch supplies appears likely to be solved.

Tag: digitimes.com
[ 77 comments ]


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joshwenke
69 months ago
Alright Apple, let's get those fingerprint sensors on the new iPads, and if you really love us then add profiles to the iPad as well!
Rating: 14 Votes
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newdeal
69 months ago
Lets just get rid of the home button all together and make the display larger.
Rating: 10 Votes
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phillipduran
69 months ago
I've turned mine off. It has been more annoying than helpful for me.
Rating: 9 Votes
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Ballis
69 months ago
Hopefully they can make enough to include them on the next ipad.
Rating: 9 Votes
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BlindGoldfish
69 months ago
Half the time, it works every time.
Rating: 7 Votes
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Nunyabinez
69 months ago

I've turned mine off. It has been more annoying than helpful for me.


It is interesting how different people's experiences are. I love touch ID and it works wonderfully for me.

I also hear the same thing with Find My Friends. It's one of the most used and most useful features on the phone for me, but I have heard plenty of people say it is the most useless feature.

To each his own.:)
Rating: 6 Votes
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impulse462
69 months ago
Hopefully it works better in cold environments than TouchID on the 5s.
Rating: 6 Votes
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doelcm82
69 months ago
So much for doubling down on secrecy. Now we know the iPhone 6 will have a fingerprint sensor.

j/k

It's probably easier to ramp up production early when you aren't trying to keep a new feature under wraps from your customers and competitors.

I'm on a 2-year cycle with my iPhone upgrades, so I skipped the iPhone 5S. I'm really looking forward to the iPhone 6.
Rating: 6 Votes
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kdarling
69 months ago

May be if the temperature change is too great between setting up your fingerprint and using it ? If so, just register 2 prints ! 1 for warm weather and 1 for cold.


That's exactly what I always suggest.

Register the same finger under multiple environments that you're in each day.

Hot. Cold. Humid. Dry.
Rating: 5 Votes
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goobot
69 months ago
I personally love the touch id sensor on my 5S, i hope iOS 8 takes advantage of it more. I also wonder if they will double the DPI on the next gen version.
Rating: 4 Votes

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