Photo of alleged 'iPhone 5S' user guide reveals 'Touch ID sensor' home button

Just hours before Apple is expected to unveil a next-generation iPhone at a special media event in California, an image has surfaced claiming to show an "iPhone 5S" quick start guide that makes refers to the handset's "Home Button/Touch ID sensor" button. Click for larger, uncropped view. | Source: Nowhereelse.fr

The photo, posted by Nowhereelse.fr, shows what appears to be a user's guide or quick start card for an "iPhone 5S," with text pointing out important features including a "Home Button/Touch ID sensor" button.

As AppleInsider cannot confirm the veracity of the photo's contents, the following for purposes of discussion only.

It is unclear if the purported image shows a quick start card, as seen in a previous iPhone 5C "leak," or a page from a full-color pamphlet. What is clear, however, is text describing a "Touch ID sensor," which presumably refers to a fingerprint sensor many believe will be built into the handset's home button.

It should be noted that the parts references are somewhat of a departure from Apple's usual "Volume Up/Down" and "Ring/Silent" naming conventions seen on the latest iPhone Quick Start Guide, though some of the terminology appears in current iPod and iPad manuals.

On Monday, a Wall Street Journal report seemingly confirmed Apple's foray into biometric security, noting that the high-end iPhone 5S would be the first to sport the feature.

Rumors regarding an iPhone with fingerprint authentication capabilities have intensified in the past week, including recent rumblings of a "silver ring" that encircles the home button. Guesses as to the purported ring's function have ranged from mere aesthetics to a functional piece of Apple's fingerprint sensing solution.

While embedded fingerprint sensors are not new to the portable electronics industry, major tech companies have yet to find a way to make the system appealing to consumers. Early attempts were cumbersome and inaccurate, sometimes requiring multiple swipes to achieve a suitable reading.

The technology Apple is thought to be using is more mature than conventional methods and comes from its 2012 acquisition of biometric security firm AuthenTec. Unlike older swipe-to-scan systems, Apple's version is likely static, meaning a user would merely place their finger on the sensor/home button as they would when waking the phone from sleep.

Apple invited media outlets to a special event scheduled to take place at the company's Cupertino headquarters on Tuesday, at which many expect a next-generation iPhone 5S and lower cost iPhone 5C to be unveiled. Also anticipated is an official release date for the next-generation iOS 7 mobile operating system. AppleInsider will covering the proceedings live starting at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern.