Apple Announces iPhone 5s With 'Touch ID' Fingerprint Sensor

[Number 41]

The NSA paranoia around here is nutty.

Most people already have fingerprints on file somewhere -- either from background checks, professional licenses, etc.

Also, I'd be less worried about fingerprint databases and more worried about the fact that everyone carries around a device with a camera and a microphone that can, theoretically, be activated remotely at any time without your knowledge.

 

[andyplace]

Now the NSA will have everyone's fingerprints in a neat tidy little voluntarily surrendered package. This is so awesome you guys!

Wrong. They're stored in a secure element on the processor, provided by NXP.

The chip can only set new fingerprints into it, and verify if a fingerprint image matches the one stored in it. You can't extract the fingerprint out of it.

 

[Cherubav]

I'll Try again! as tried to say earlier, i think that Truffle and Champagne would have been far more interesting than white and champagne.

 

[Ubele]

A worthy and respectable update to the iPhone. I'm happy with my 5, though, and I don't want to break contract, so I'll wait for the 6. On my wish list are a bigger screen (personal preference, I know) and a 128 GB option (which would hold my entire music collection and be handy when I don't have access to the Cloud).

 

[PracticalMac]

wish they made the jump to 128GB phone

i guess since other phones come out with such crappy numbers they didn't feel need to raise it up

Que Samsung Galaxy with 128GB memory commercial, GO!

 

[mdelvecchio]

The biggest letdown for me is no 802.11ac Wi-Fi..... their brand new iPhone can't support their new router to it's full potential?!

i thought this odd.

 

[xraydoc]

Not a popular opinion around here, but I'm not particularly excited about anything announced today.

The 5C isn't bad IF you can get it on contract. Off contract price is too high.

But I'm pretty underwhelmed by the 5S. Yes, faster. Yes, slightly better camera. A fingerprint sensor that can be used for unlocking the phone and buying things off iTunes... and... that's pretty much it.

I have iOS 7 beta on my iPhone 5 (I'm a registered developer), and I'm not really in love with it, either.

Overall, a vote of "yawn" from me.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Old I may be, but I can still remember the four digits I need to unlock my iPhone 5...

The new camera doesn't intrigue me. I've taken about 40 iPhone photos since getting my iPhone 5 about a year and a half ago...

I don't think the faster processor is going to do much for improving the quality of my phone calls or the downloading of my emails...

sounds like you may not need a flagship smartphone -- any old crap phone w/ email will work for you.

the high-end camera, CPU, GPU, etc, all all designed for users who desire to use those features in more demanding tasks than email and voice.

 

[lazaruzz]

So Tim Cook's definition of new design is a change to the home button and new colors, to me that is an upgrade to an old design. And i gotten all the iPhone since day 1 not to happy with Tim Cook and what he brings to apple.

 

[PracticalMac]

The NSA paranoia around here is nutty.

Most people already have fingerprints on file somewhere -- either from background checks, professional licenses, etc.

Also, I'd be less worried about fingerprint databases and more worried about the fact that everyone carries around a device with a camera and a microphone that can, theoretically, be activated remotely at any time without your knowledge.

Yup.

Anyone who was ever arrested.
Or military
Or cashed a check
Drivers license (in TX, just thumb)
Or whatever.

I am sure the credit score bureaus have that too on file.

Only agency that does not is SS Admin.

 

[daijholt]

The only thing I don't like about today is that I can't preorder a 5S on Friday morning. The Touch ID & camera improvements are perfect since I won't have to worry about some randomer unlocking my phone if I lose it abroad, plus I'll be able to take thousands of epic pictures while I'm there!

Would I be right to assume the 5S will be buyable from the website on September 20th do you think? Of course that would mean waiting until the week after to receive it but I'm not sure how insane the lines will be at the Apple store.

 

[BJMRamage]

Que Samsung Galaxy with 128GB memory commercial, GO!

Probably will. "I can store all my HD video and 12MP camera shots on my phone...oh, you can't on the iPhone?"


I am testing a Galaxy (over in 4-5 days) and cannot wait to go back to the iPhone. Some things are nice but overall like teh iPhone better.

Hopefully I can sell the Galaxy and get some cash for my Disney Trip.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Obvious, noobish question, should I upgrade from my iPhone 5 to 5S? I am going to upgrade to this model; or wait for the iPhone 6, but I've been told the iPhone 5 will lose a lot of worth. I can sell my phone for 650 euros and bought it for 800.
What you guys think?

nobody can tell you how to live your life. sorry.

unless you have reason to, im not sure why you would upgrade annually. only devs and phone nerds do that. (i do).

iphones retain their value. i always sell the previous model for $4-500 and use it to buy the new model.

 

[Michael Jordan]

It's good to see people are not accepting these tiny minor updates by Apple. The ridiculous pricing of the iPhone 5C and the minor updates to the iPhone 5S. Apple keeps thinking they can do the same trick over and over again. The best signal of today is that the stock went way down after the news of the iPhone 5C.

 

[sseaton1971]

Now the NSA will have everyone's fingerprints in a neat tidy little voluntarily surrendered package. This is so awesome you guys!

If the NSA wants your fingerprint, I am sure they can find a very easy way to get it. Do you wear gloves at work, when you enter your car, when you dine at a restaurant, etc.?

Apple isn't storing an image of your fingerprint anyway... but nice try making something out of nothing. By the way... I know where you live!

 

[Oracle1729]

I found it hilarious that they talk about putting desktop power in their phone. I'm still waiting for them to release a desktop with desktop power instead of notebook parts.

Anyway, this was a happy day for me, I get iPhoto and Pages for free on my iPad, and I finally ordered the Galaxy S4 this afternoon.

Don't call me an Apple hater, I'm going to buy a haswell i7 mac mini on day 1 even though I already have 3 minis. I'm typing this on an MBP, and I still love my iPad 4. But my days of a crippled phone with 2010 tech and a crappy 4" screen are over.

 

[ActionableMango]

2. No pre-order 5S? Really?
3. No iPad update yet?
4. The BIG QUESTION is what does Apple do with your fingerprint? Is it saved on the phone? Does it get sent elsewhere? (And then of course, what back doors will allow government agencies to get it????)

(And, no Mac Mini upgrade, no retina 17 inch MBP. lol)

2. Yes there is a preorder Sep 13. Yes, really.
3. This is an iPhone event, so no, they aren't talking about the iPads, Mac Minis, MBP, Syria, or anything else.
4. This was covered in the event. It is stored locally on the phone only. It is converted into proprietary data values and not kept as a fingerprint image. Those values are then encrypted. Applications do not have access to it. It is not transmitted. I also bet, if you are paranoid, you can just keep using a pass code anyway.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Punching in the four digit code has never been a problem for me.

i enter it dozens of times a day, which gets old. others can see it, which ive noticed. some people use passcodes instead of PINs. and i hate typing my mixed-case itunes password. touch ID solves all of this. why wouldnt i want it is the question...

I have two cameras that are far superior to what the iPhone offers, and both have viewfinders you can look through to frame and focus your photo. One is a pocket digital and the other is a real DLSR.

those are niche speciality products. cellphones are multi-purpose devices. specialty products are better at their dedicated task, but lack versatility and encur penalties such as added bulk and weight since youre carrying multiple devices. in the end some people prefer dedicated devices, but most people choose multi-purpose.

 

[milo]

2. Yes there is a preorder Sep 13. Yes, really.

And that preorder date is only for the 5C. No preorder date for the 5s. No, really. Which has been covered in this thread over and over already.

 

[davidec]

Can you store multiple fingerprints on a device? What happens if my wife or kid wants to use it in an emergency?

 

[mdelvecchio]

And again, Apple didn´t innovate anything, just made upgrades to what´s already out there,

you seem to be confusing the words innovation and invention. they have different meanings.

Apple is loosing it´s capability to impress people...

consumer rating awards would refute that. single-manufacturer sales as well.

There is not good reason to upgrade from the iPhone 5,

you have a serious misunderstanding of apple's purpose if you believe youre supposed to want to upgrade every year. hint: you arent. no one in their right mind does so except devs, phone nerds, and the rich. if you arent one of those, i cant imagine you wanting to upgrade to an "S" model. do you upgrade your home receiver to its annual refresh? laptop? car? nope.

i just don´t feel the excitement anymore...

thats in you.

i remember the buzz generated by the 3gs to 4 and to 4s to 5 (and even 4 to 4s was a big deal of improvements) but not today...not today Apple.

omg. drama much?

 

[BornAgainApple]

Well, of course, since you're 5 is still on contract for another year.

Think before you speak Kemosabe. I'm off contract with Straight Talk.

 

[sulpfiction]

Somebody really needs to ask Tim Cook what is up with the 5S having no apparent preorder date. If they expect me to go into a store on the 20th, they cannot expect my business this quarter.

One less person in front of me

 

[mdelvecchio]

You believe them that the fingerprint data will not be given to NSA? It is silly to believe that.

Of course they will. NSA already has access to our phone data and can have the data before you can finish setup.

youre high. just as your PIN is not transmitted to apple/nsa, theres no reason for the fingerprint hash to be transmitted. apple could be sued if they lied about that.

 

[Battlefield Fan]

What you need so much storage for? Music- cloud. Photos- photo streamed to Mac. 16 gig is fine for me.

Well it's a good thing you're not the product designer otherwise everyone who orders the 32 and 64 would be left in the dark due to narrow minded thinking...