Patent application, leaked photo, make iPad 5 Touch ID integration probable

A new patent application has been published by the USPTO that reveals more details of what Apple has planned for the Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

Discovered by Patently Apple, the patent notes that the Touch ID technology could be used in iPads as well as MacBooks, in addition to the iPhone 5S the company launched last month. It also shows that the sensor pad could eventually be placed beneath a portion of the display screen, instead of in a button.

In a little bit less than a week from now, Apple is expected to launch two new iPads – the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2, both of which could be candidates for Touch ID integration.

Reported previously, the iPhone 5S’s Touch ID sensor has excited some in the biometrics community, but has others suggesting the proprietary nature of the sensor could hamper adoption in the long run.  

Earlier this week, a picture surfaced which purported to show the iPad 5 with a similar Touch ID home button to that of the iPhone 5S. Though this leaked image supports the belief that the iPad 5 will come shipped with a fingerprint sensor, it’s worth noting that none of this has been confirmed as of yet, but an iPad integration wouldn’t be too much of a surprise – especially since the Touch ID has so far been locked within the iOS 7 and iTunes ecosystem.

Article Topics

Apple  |  fingerprint  |  iPhone 5S  |  leak  |  patent  |  Touch ID