Apple's next iPhone might have a fingerprint technology, says Topeka Capital analyst Brian White.
White has been touring Asia for the last two weeks picking up and passing along all the gossip he's hearing about Apple's iPhone. It's been very entertaining reading, but in terms of accuracy, we'll have to wait and see. Some times sources in the supply chain are accurate, other times, not so much.
Anyway, White says, "we believe fingerprint identification technology will be part of the iPhone 5S and this is likely to be the major new feature used to market the iPhone 5S, similar to what Siri was to the iPhone 4S."
Apple's iPhone release pattern goes like this: New phone design in year one, same phone design with better internal specs in year two. To make up for the lack of design changes, Apple offers exclusive features for the year two phone.
For instance, the iPhone 3GS had video. The iPhone 4S had Siri.
It's possible, we suppose, the iPhone 5S will have fingerprint technologies. Apple acquired Authentec, which made a fingerprint scanning chip, last July.
For what it's worth, earlier this month, Apple blogger MG Siegler also said he was hearing gossip about biometric scanners in the next iPhone.
In addition to the fingerprint tech, White says there will be minor cosmetic changes: "the camera is expected to be larger and the left side buttons to be arranged a bit differently."
SEE ALSO: Topeka Capital Says The iPhone 5S Is Coming In Two Sizes
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