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Posted on24 Mar 2013 at 16:35, by David Ludlow
According to recent reports, the iPhone 5S is set to get a fingerprint reader, which would be used to secure payments via NFC.
NFC is the one thing that was arguably missing from the iPhone 5 with Apple refusing to include the technology, despite Android rivals, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, having it built in.
Now, with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Apple needs to make sure that its flagship smartphone has all the latest tech if it's to maintain its marketshare.
According to reports from Taiwan and reported on NFC World, Chipbond has won a major contract from Apple to build components for the iPhone 5S. According to reports, Chipbond will produce the fingerprint identification chip for Apple.
In conjunction with a built-in NFC module, this would let Apple secure communications and ensure that financial transactions are protected. More evidence that this is the case comes from Apple's purchase last year of Authentec, which created an NFC/fingerprint security system.
Further information seems to suggest that Apple will integrate payments into its Passbook app. Currently, this app supports only tickets, loyalty cards and discount vouchers, but extending it to create a digital wallet that competes with Google Wallet (recently launched in the UK), shouldn't be too hard.
It's thought that the fingerprint reader will be placed underneath the Home button on the front of the phone, making it easy for users to hit, and providing an easier authentication method than an on-screen PIN or password.
