Apple adds Touch ID fingerprint sensor to iPad

Apple’s new generation of iPads will come be equipped with Touch ID fingerprint-reading sensor, according to a report by CNET.

At its media event, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced that the new iPads will include the biometric scanner.

Apple’s iPhones have been equipped with the Touch ID sensor for more than a year now, which lets users unlock their iPads and make secured purchases using Apple’s new digital wallet, Apple Pay.

According to Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller, Touch ID was “the most requested feature” for new iPads, which will be available in the new iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 which arrive in stores next week.

Touch ID on the iPad takes on the exact same form and function as its iPhone counterpart, with a front-facing fingerprint scanner integrated into the Home button at the bottom of the device.

Apple acquired the fingerprint technology for Touch ID when it purchased AuthenTec in July 2012.

Unlike its iPhone counterparts, the new iPads won’t have the embedded Near Field Communication chip that is needed to make payments with Apple Pay.

TouchID on the iPhone was recently criticized for its apparent security vulnerability.

Previously reported, the same TouchID fingerprint spoofing tactic that allows fraudsters to gain access to Apple’s iPhone 5s can also be used with the new iPhone 6.

In the CNET report, independent security researcher Jonathan Zdziarski said that the Touch ID on the iPad will have a “more indirect” affect on security than overt.

He said that the fingerprint reader will enable users to create more complex passwords without having to physically type it in every time they want to use their iPad.

Article Topics

Apple  |  Apple Pay  |  biometrics  |  fingerprint sensors  |  Touch ID