The mobile biometric war is entering a heated second stage. The emergence of wearables and vital biometrics, as well as the introduction of Samsung’s Galaxy S5 fingerprint sensor have kept the conversation over mobile ID strongly focused around smartphones. Two new pieces of Apple speculation are keeping the topic hot.
Earlier this week, Apple Insider reported that Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst, is saying that every nono-iPod iOS device released this year will feature TouchID. That includes the iPhone 6 (which will be released in two versions), the next iteration of the iPad Air and a new iPad mini with retina display.
Kuo says that the next versions of Touch ID will be more durable, with Apple changing up the chemicals used in production.
Meanwhile, Patently Apple has reported that the US Patent and Trademark Office has published a patent application from Apple describing biometric human presence detection. Titled “Biometric Sensor for Human Presence Detection and Associated Methods,” the patent describes an improvement on CAPTCHA-style bot detection.
Though these two items are not directly related, the message is clear: Apple is determined to get as much mileage out of its Authentec acquisition as possible. A few months away from the anniversary of the original Touch ID announcement that catapulted mobile ID into the mainstream, it looks like this conversation is just beginning.
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