Rumors regarding a fingerprint scanner in the upcoming iPhone 5S have been going around for the past couple of months and we may finally have some proof that there will indeed be some form of a fingerprint scanner in the device.
The iOS 7 Beta 4 release includes code for a biometrics system which seems to point towards a fingerprint sensor being used for anyone that has the iOS VoiceOver feature enabled. 9to5Mac is reporting that the fingerprint scanner is complete and we are simply waiting to figure out how deeply integrated it will be.
From what we can tell, the scanner will be included in the home button on the iPhone 5S. It will be utilized for unlocking the phone and could also serve as a new layer of security when making purchases.
Apple spent $365 million on Authentec last year which specialized in creating fingerprint sensors that can identify users. This acquisition led to the first rumors that Apple would include that type of biometric technology in one of their upcoming phones or tablets.
Even though we are seeing the code for this feature in the iOS 7 Beta, it does not necessarily mean that it will end up in the iPhone 5S. As CNET points out, the panorama camera feature was first spotted in 2011 but did not make its way onto the iPhone until iOS 6 was released.