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While I agree with this for the most part, I've never used a fingerprint scan that could manage grease or other spreadable material on the finger.

Capacitive sensors are supposed to help get around that.

In fact, simple things like cold hands can change the way your print reads and cause the scan to fail.

We found the same problem with casino systems decades ago. Cold hands can prevent a capacitive sensor from recognizing someone/touch, because your blood withdraws from the surface of your skin, and thus changes your capacitance.

Despite all this, I'm definitely looking forward to having the tech in a phone.

Fingerprint sensors have been tried on PDAs and smartphones since the turn of the century. It'll be interesting to see if Apple has found a really compelling use for them.

Looks to me like the fingerprint reader will be to the right of the home button rather than integral to it. Perhaps under the glass.

Being to one side would make sense and avoid accidental presses.

Has anyone considered the possibility that this is actually a heart-rhythm sensor?

Could probably be used for that as well. Looking for a heartbeat is one way that current fingerprint sensors determine if the appendage is attached to a live person.

I hope that you are all correct. A fingerprint sensor alone isn't that exciting.

Perhaps it's also a swipe pad for off-screen gestures, for example.
 
Has anyone considered the possibility that this is actually a heart-rhythm sensor? Saw this today and I think it's a distinct possibility:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/03/nymi/

Makes so much more sense than a fingerprint scanner. Apple also patented this tech in 2010:

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...nt-leap-in-biometrics-with-heart-sensors.html

Thoughts?

Not going to look at the links but I think there have been several mentions that it's going to be a fingerprint sensor already, and even one mentioning that the "fingerprint sensor" would only
unlock the phone, and not be used in place of passwords and credit card info, etc. But it is not unlike apple to take something that was a big feature on a competitors flagship (the Galaxy S4 made a big deal about their health app/features).

I'd be highly disappointed to figure out they are including a heart sensor/app combo instead of a fingerprint sensor. Both of which don't really do anything for me, but the former definitely does even less. Maybe it's good for fat america. I'm not one of them though
 
Looks to me like the fingerprint reader will be to the right of the home button rather than integral to it. Perhaps under the glass.

Exactly what I was thinking seeing the square on the cable. Quick press of the home button and a swipe to the right over the fingerprint sensor. Eliminates a lot of issues.

Doesn't Apple also have a patent on parts of the screen (or perhaps bezel in this case) revealing themselves when needed to show components underneath and the disappearing when not needed? Or am I thinking of something else?

I would guess this would be significantly easier to implement (the sensor not being on the button itself, that is) then embedding it into the home button.
 
Not going to look at the links but I think there have been several mentions that it's going to be a fingerprint sensor already, and even one mentioning that the "fingerprint sensor" would only
unlock the phone, and not be used in place of passwords and credit card info, etc. But it is not unlike apple to take something that was a big feature on a competitors flagship (the Galaxy S4 made a big deal about their health app/features).

I'd be highly disappointed to figure out they are including a heart sensor/app combo instead of a fingerprint sensor. Both of which don't really do anything for me, but the former definitely does even less. Maybe it's good for fat america. I'm not one of them though

Heart sensor can use your heart rhythm to securely identify you. Better than a fingerprint sensor since it's a lot harder to fake. Too bad you didn't click the links.
 
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Heart sensor can use your heart rhythm to securely identify you. Better than a fingerprint sensor since it's a lot harder to fake. Too bad you didn't click the links.

Lol yeah I see your point. I looked at the links later. It seems to be a combination? That isn't what authentec (the company apple acquired) does though?
 
Was just doing some research on heart beat biometrics and learned that Intel had purchased a company in early July of 2012 called Idesia which holds patents for this technology. Apple purchases Authentec two weeks later rather impetuously as reported by some analysts.

Just my own speculation of course but I think this is all related. We'll see soon enough.
 
Home Button will be convex!

From a source I know, the home button will be convex and will have a fingerprint sensor. Let's see if it's the truth on September 10!
 
What country do you live in?

I've posted here before: I have had an RFID credit card for years. I can count four separate major retailers that have RFID readers on their credit card terminals. None of the readers work! It's not a problem with my card, because I've successfully used it with RFID before.

If the credit card companies can't get contactless payments to work with their own kit, I'm not sure what Apple is going to do to improve the situation.


I think you will see Apple focus instead on low-power Bluetooth for this set of hardware upgrades.

I'm in the US (New Jersey to be exact). My mall has readers everywhere. They even advertise Google Wallet on them.
 
It's Apple, and they've dropped the ball repeatedly regarding giving developer API access to key features in iOS. See: 3rd party Notification Center Widgets, 3rd party SIRI integration and now 3rd party Control Center access. The last time they DID give API access to devs, the result was, IMO, a flop (Passbook).

I just don't see this happening.
Fingerprints make also no sense for more secure financial transactions. Existing methods are already secure enough. And a fingerprint system just for Apples stores (iTunes Store, MAS, and so on) makes no sense.

----------

Has anyone considered the possibility that this is actually a heart-rhythm sensor? Saw this today and I think it's a distinct possibility:

http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/03/nymi/

Makes so much more sense than a fingerprint scanner. Apple also patented this tech in 2010:

http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...nt-leap-in-biometrics-with-heart-sensors.html

Thoughts?
I think Apple bought AuthenTec, because they did not want such a company in the wrong hands (i.e. Samsung, Nokia, ...).
 
I think Apple bought AuthenTec, because they did not want such a company in the wrong hands (i.e. Samsung, Nokia, ...).

Other companies have been using AuthenTec since probably the late 1990s. Heck, Motorola used an AuthenTec fingerprint sensors recently on one of their phones.

It's like when Apple got an exclusive on LiquidMetal, even though they've only used it so far for SIM eject tools, whereas others like Samsung had used LiquidMetal since around 2002 on many of its phones.

Maybe it's all part of the "thermonuclear war" on Android.
 
I highly doubt this next gen phone will be called the 5S. The 3GS stood for Speed, the 4S stood for Siri, they have been known to do things rather unpredictably, such as call the iPad 3 the new iPad, then release the iPad 4 when nobody saw it coming.
 
that's for thieves, right?:rolleyes:
chuck-norris.jpg
 
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So if this thing is for replacing lock codes only, is it really going to be faster than swipe>tap>tap>tap>tap? I unlock my phone pretty damn fast with a vertical-only code.

It seems like ANY time physical scanning is involved, there is the potential for lag. How many times have we all been at the grocery store and the checkout person had to scan an item 5 times to get the price, or worse, gave up and manually entered it. And that's a crisp black and white bar code being scanned with a laser, not some sweaty finger that's never in the exact same spot twice.

Maybe biometrics is a totally different technology that's much faster and more reliable (If so, let's replace bar codes with fingerprints on groceries already!), but it seems like it's not a matter of if, but when it's going to lag, pause, or fail outright, based on Apple's other tacked on features with questionable usability like Siri and Maps.

Is thing really going to shave noticeable time and effort off of getting to the home screen, or is this just Apple's version of the 3D LCD TV...i.e. "We've sold one of these to everyone on the planet already. No one needs a new one, and we're out of major new ideas, so let's start tacking on some "because we can" features in the hopes of snagging a few upgraders.

If Apple actually did make this thing work seamlessly, my next question is, how will it be implemented into the OS, in terms of security? My wife is required to have a lock code for her job. Will she have to submit a request to IT to be allowed to switch to biometrics, and/or wait for an OTA profile update, or will the iPhone automatically report that a lock code requirement has been satisfied just by using a fingerprint?
 
some people are just lazy and dont want to type those 4 pin digits and are screaming how this is THE NEXT BIG THING, when in reality its only their laziness.

Some Smartasses don't work at 7-11 but carry corporate phones requiring complex pw's. While a (accurate and reliable) sensor controlling purchases would be convenient I'd be happy with it just unlocking my phone.
 
Some Smartasses don't work at 7-11 but carry corporate phones requiring complex pw's. While a (accurate and reliable) sensor controlling purchases would be convenient I'd be happy with it just unlocking my phone.
I would love to replace my 8 digit alphanumeric password (forced 2min auto lock) on my company iPhone with a quick finger scan. Re-keying in this password 50 times a day gets old.
 
I'm not really sure why people are so excited about a Fingerprint Sensor

It's likely the result of months and months of watching new developments from other companies while Apple appeared to be hibernating Polar Bear Style :)
 
I would love to replace my 8 digit alphanumeric password (forced 2min auto lock) on my company iPhone with a quick finger scan. Re-keying in this password 50 times a day gets old.

Same here. Here's hoping its true and our/my company will allow its use.
 
Interesting. Here in FL RFID/NFC is a sad joke. Could be all the old people. ;)

My daughter and her husband, who lived in Florida until recently, used NFC all the time.

She used it for fast food, gas, at Home Depot, pharmacy, quick marts, etc.

She loved it because she had a 3 year old, and one arm was full of him, while the other hand always held her phone :)

Grocery stores are the key, I think. Get them to accept it, and that'll help a lot.
 
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