Apple will include a fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5S that the company is expected to debut on Tuesday at a press event from its Cupertino headquarters in Calif. at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET).
According to CNET, which cites the Wall Street Journal as finally confirming the issue. The company has placed patents on the concept and rumors have been mounting since last year when Apple purchased the identity management software company AuthenTec.
In July, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published an Apple patent application that described a technology that would use a biometric sensor to trace a person's finger and fingerprint and, based on that information, determine if that person has the proper credentials to open the phone.
Following the discovery of that patent, leaked images of the iPhone 5S with room for the fingerprint scanner in its internals, a component for a finger print scanner as well as a finished iPhone package that appears to sport a silver ring around the classic home button.
This means that if the rumors do all come together at Apple's major press event, people can expect to see the days of punching in a four digit code on their iPhones as the height of smartphone security fade away. A fingerprint scanner will allow users to verify their identity before opening the phone and it is rumored to be a version of verification for purchasing apps from Apple's App Store.
This will likely be the first of many smartphone developers that add a fingerprint scanner to their new smartphone designs. Rumors are already circulating that several smartphones from Google Android have also been working on adding fingerprint sensors to their smartphones.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is expected to take the stage at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) to unveil the newest iPhone 5S and the low-cost iPhone C. Only the high-end iPhone 5S is expected to come with a fingerprint sensor.
