Apple's next-generation iPhone 6, iPad Air 2, and the iPad Mini 3, will reportedly all boast fingerprint scanners when they debut later this year.
The current iPhone 5S flagship smartphone was the first device to launch with Apple's fingerprint sensor called Touch ID, but the biometric technology is expected to grace more iDevices this year. The iPhone 6 was already rumored to come with Touch ID on board, and a new report now claims that the next iPads will have fingerprint scanners as well.
According to a new report from a Chinese site (via GforGames), TSMC will supply the fingerprint sensors for Apple's upcoming iPhone 6, iPad Air 2, and iPad Mini 3. The component maker has reportedly started sending out the first batch of sensors to Apple already.
Before the iPad Air and the new iPad Mini with retina display made their debut last year, rumors suggested that they would also pack fingerprint sensors, but that obviously didn't happen. Apple reportedly changed its mind due to production issues, but it has never been confirmed.
The latest rumor now points to the next generation of iDevices, but still nothing is confirmed at this point. Based on rumors so far, the iPhone 6 is widely expected to launch in two large-screen variants, one with a 4.7-inch display and another with an even larger 5.5-inch panel. The smaller model will likely debut in September, while the iPhablet may launch in November, in time for the lucrative holiday shopping season.
The iPhone 6 is further rumored to pack Apple's new A8 mobile processor based on 64-bit architecture, run iOS 8, and boast an 8-megapixel rear camera with EIS instead of OIS.
The iPhone 5S stirred plenty of controversy at first with its new Touch ID fingerprint scanner, but the technology caught on and seems to be the new must-have in smartphone security. It would make sense for Apple to launch its next iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 with fingerprint scanners on board, but until official confirmation it is always best to take everything with a grain of salt. Apple's next iDevices will not come out for a few months and the rumor mill is always getting ahead of itself, but not all reports prove to be accurate in the end.
