The Touch ID fingerprint sensor will get an upgrade this year with Apple's next-generation iPhone, according to well-connected insider Ming-Chi Kuo, who said on Tuesday that the new model will improve the Apple Pay experience with fewer reading errors.
Future iPhones and iPads could move Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor from the device's home button to the display itself, allowing a more seamless and potentially dynamic way for a device to securely authenticate a user.
While rumors have long claimed that Apple has plans to replace Intel's x86 chips in Macs with its own custom ARM Application Processors, there are a series of more valuable opportunities available to Apple's silicon design team, each of which has the potential to replicate Apple's history of beating Intel in mobile chips and in building mobile GPUs without the help of Nvidia or AMD.
Motorola did intend to include a Touch ID-like fingerprint sensor in its Android flagship Nexus 6 smartphone, the company's then-CEO has revealed, but canceled the plan following Apple's acquisition of would-be component supplier AuthenTec.
Samsung's next flagship smartphone will ship with a Touch ID-like fingerprint sensor in place of the swipe-style sensor that the company employed on the underwhelming Galaxy S5, according to a new report.
The technology that drives the Touch ID home button could be used for much more than securely scanning a user's fingerprint — a fact highlighted by a new Apple patent application published this week.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Thursday published an Apple patent application for an iCloud-based fingerprint storage and cross-device syncing solution, a system that could do away with manual Touch ID setup and power next-generation Apple Pay-enabled POS terminals.
Apple has shown interest in combining the use of its Touch ID fingerprint sensor with rotating or moving a user's fingertip in specific ways, offering even more advanced security on future iPhones and iPads.
While Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensors remain limited to the latest iPhone and iPad models and have yet to appear in any Mac hardware, Synaptics announced on Wednesday that its new SecurePad fingerprint scanning hardware is now available to notebook PC makers.
The auto-unlock feature of the iPad Smart Cover was once touted as a unique and convenient way of interacting with Apple's tablet, but it has now been hampered by the addition of Touch ID to the latest iPad models.
Starting Tuesday, some users of popular streaming radio app Pandora began seeing a beta preview of a new user interface on their iPhone. Plus, American Express cardholders can now view their account information using Touch ID.
Tap-to-buy quick purchasing buttons with support for Apple Pay may be coming to Apple's iAd mobile advertising network as soon as this fall, according to a new report.
The iPad Air and iPad mini have both been outfitted by Apple with Touch ID fingerprint sensors, but it's clear that Apple is positioning its flagship iPad Air 2 as the tablet to beat, boasting a beefed-up A8X CPU, improved camera, thinner design, and anti-reflective laminated display.
With less than 24 hours to go before Apple is set to present its latest products, preview images for the company's iOS 8.1 user guide in the iBookstore reveal the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, both featuring a Touch ID fingerprint sensing home button.
Less than two months ago, Daisuke Wakabayashi of the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple was "betting $700 million" on a plan to use sapphire screens on its upcoming iPhones. After being proven wrong, the writer now claims that Apple radically reversed its plans just weeks before the new devices went on sale.
Following the release of iOS 8.0.1 on Wednesday, many users began experiencing issues with the maintenance and software update, finding that their handset could no longer establish a cellular connection or recognize their fingerprint upon installing, prompting Apple to pull the update
iPhone security and convenience have both been greatly enhanced by Apple's iOS 8, giving third-party developers the ability for the first time to utilize the secure Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Apple's eighth iPhone event introduced two new larger-screened, larger-capacity new phones, iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, along with a continuation two of the world's top selling models, iPhone 5c and 5s, now at a reduced price.
Apple will enter the mobile payment space in a big way with this month's launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, both of which will ship with integrated near-field communications technology to allow secure wireless payments through a service called Apple Pay.
Hot on the heels of a report that Apple has inked a deal with American Express, a second report has stated that the company has also signed deals with Visa and MasterCard.
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Neil Hughes
Daniel Eran Dilger
Sam Oliver
Mikey Campbell
AppleInsider Staff
