Biometrics Next-Gen i-Phone

                            By far the biggest story this revolves around claims that iOS 7 (Beta 4)– seeded to developers just last night – may in fact contain references to a ‘Biometrics UIKit,’ which could (in turn) suggest that Apple may introduce biometrics into the next description of its iPhone.

Biometrics (or biometric verification) refers to the classification of humans by their distinctiveness or traits. Biometrics is used in computer science as a form of classification and access control. It is also used to identify individuals in groups that are under examination.

First noted by Twitter user @hamzasood, Soon claims that the result could translate into the next iPhone‘s home button “[containing a] fingerprint sensor.” In order for that to come about, Apple would have to replace its physical home button with a “capacitive” touch area.

Capacitive sensing technology has been around for a while, and we’ve talked about it many times before in relation to the different patents which have surfaced, and additional seem to corroborate that Apple may be looking to go down this path with its mobile devices. The method, (based on capacitive coupling), takes human body capacitance as input. Capacitive sensors perceive anything that is conductive or has a dielectric special from that of air.

According to Mac Rumors (via 9to5Mac), the bundle features a number of files which may relate to future biometric-based actions in iOS, that could include:

- [Taking a] photo of a person holding an iPhone with their left hand while touching the Home button with their thumb
- [Taking a] 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 development.

… And a success command, which reads: “Recognition is %@ complete.”

News that the latest iteration of Apple’s in-development mobile OS may contain references to a biometric-based security system follows on from Apple reportedly acquiring security firm Authentic, last year. Just last week, a report also surfaced which claimed Apple’s rival Samsung was forced to drop a similar feature in the development stages of its latest flagship handset, due to what the report refers to as an “unstable” supply of ‘fingerprint’ sensors available to the company at the time.

As for expected uses of this technology if these latest findings are accurate? – Well, Apple could essentially get rid of the need for you to input your Apple ID username and password, every time you wish to download an app, instead having iOS ask for your thumbprint to complete account “authentication.”

reliant on how advanced and “ready-to-go” the technology is possibly going to be at launch, we could also see this biometrics input system expand to online authentication, and perhaps even to developers with the availability of an SDK (Software Development Kit). In this instance, the possibilities of fingerprint authentication on the iPhone are pretty much endless.

Heck, Apple may even be planning to launch its own micro-payments system, with the iPhone acting as your digital wallet (attached to your iTunes account), and your ‘thumb’ acting as the tool for personal verification. We’re not saying that type of system wouldn’t come without user concerns, but the new findings certainly appear motivating.

Apple is currently expected to launch the next-generation iPhone at one of its special media events, set to be held towards the end of this year. The handset is reported to be both thinner and lighter than the iPhone 5 — might carry the name“iPhone 5C” (for branding purposes) — and may be set to arrive in a variety of colours.

The device is also expected to arrive with a slightly-bumped internal processor, and enhanced graphics architecture, to facilitate the running of more graphically-intensive content and games.