The start button of an iPhone is that button that some love and others hate. On the one hand, the start button has been present from the original iPhone and is a distinctive part of it; on the other, that button is one of those responsible for making the apple phone so large when it would not be necessary. Apple could eliminate it, but since 2013 there is another obstacle: a Touch ID which serves to identify us, unlock the terminal and make payments with Apple Pay, among other things. But, if we pay attention to the registered patents, the visibility of the start button could have the days counted.
Apple introduced in March last year a patent that would allow embedding the Touch ID on the screen of a device, but yesterday they published another one that describes it more concretely. The new patent describes three different technologies that can be used for fingerprint sensors. The third of the technologies described is called "Ultrasonic Imaging" and would allow the sensor to be embedded in the screen, while providing greater sensitivity (and security) than the Touch ID we use today.
Apple wants to launch an iPhone with the Touch ID embedded in the screen
The patent also describes how a fingerprint sensor (or a biometric personal identification device -BPID) could be used to verify the authenticity of the data. For example, it could be used for a driver's license, something that, oddly enough, they are already trying to include in the Wallet app in Britain.
Some rumors assure that the iPhone 7 It will include this screen, but this seems unlikely or impossible to me. Many of the rumors and analysis are too optimistic and we are currently in the months of the year in which we will read many rumors that will not see the light, at least during this year. Of course, with three patents already valuing it, that we see an iPhone with the Touch ID on the screen is only a matter of time.
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