August 11 news, according to the U.S. tech blog AppleInsider report, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently pointed out that Apple may adopt a raised sapphire Home button in the upcoming iPhone 5S. This design will allow the embedding of a fingerprint sensor without sacrificing internal space.
According to Ming-Chi Kuo's analysis, if Apple continues with the recessed Home button design, there will not be enough space to install the fingerprint sensor. However, by adopting a raised design, the space issue is naturally resolved. Moreover, the raised Home button will be very susceptible to wear and tear, so Apple has chosen high-strength sapphire material for it, which will ensure a longer usage period for the Home button.
Apple acquired biometric security company AuthenTec last year. The company applies advanced capacitive and radio frequency technology to its biometric chips, thus creating a fingerprint recognition method that is completely different from the current optical recognition. Ming-Chi Kuo believes this new method will not be affected by external factors such as dust when identifying fingerprints.
Ming-Chi Kuo also pointed out that the iPhone has only been designed with one Home button on the front, which has formed a usage habit among consumers. Therefore, consumers will quickly adapt to the design that combines fingerprint recognition with the Home button, avoiding discomfort in use.
Ming-Chi Kuo expects that after the addition of a fingerprint sensor, the iPhone will take the lead in mobile phone identification technology compared to Android and WP phones. It also means that iPhone users will be able to enjoy a more secure mobile payment experience. In addition, the security of accessing iCloud and iTunes and other Apple services will be greatly improved.