Though Apple is notorious for plugging up leaks to prevent anyone from seeing their products ahead of its release, every once in a while something gets through. Recently, leaked images of design drawings for case makers and a new patent filing point to the iPhone 5S size and a fingerprint scanner, respectively. The iPhone 5S release date is expected to be during the fall of this year.
Apple fan blog and leak site Apple Insider got their hand on leaked schematics revealing what case makers expect not only the iPhone 5s but the rumored low-cost iPhone to look like in terms of size. Not surprisingly, they’re both nearly identical to the current-generation version of Apple’s flagship smartphone, the iPhone 5. Both devices are expected to have the same 4-inch screen, home button, and front-facing FaceTime camera.
Rumors have been floating around about Apple considering a display larger than its typical 4-incher, though CEO Tim Cook has not confirmed or denied such allegations. However, it’s important to keep in mind his quarterly earnings conference call back at the end of April when he noted that if Apple were to consider a larger screen, it wouldn’t be until he was sure he wouldn’t be sacrificing anything in the way of under the hood software or display clarity. Cue the speculations about a 2014 iPhone 6.
This afternoon, tech site BGR was able to uncover a pantent filing detailing a fingerprint scanner which could possibly be included in the 5S, which would be the first major hardware upgrade for “S” branded devices. The upgraded feature would possibly be “incorporated into the bezel of a device like the iPhone, and that could be used to provide secure authentication for a variety of functions.”
Apple is doing everything it can to prevent thieves from getting their sticky fingers on unsuspecting iPhone users and making off with their handsets. The “activation lock” feature is designed to render a phone inoperable when a thief attempts to turn off another program that locates missing devices without first supplying an account password, according to Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering.
