Images posted online claim to prove the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner in the iPhone 5S.
The photos, posted on French website nowhereelse.fr, show the purported iPhone 5S rear shell alongside the shell of the existing iPhone 5, with certain areas highlighted in order to demonstrate the changes found in the new model.
At the top of the phone, the section of the shell surrounding the iPhone 5S’ camera flash is shown to have been split into two small holes, supposedly to house the rumoured dual-LED flash, which doubles the iPhone 5’s single LED, with the upgrade giving a more effective and natural lighting effect to photos. The camera itself has already been rumoured to be receiving a bump in quality, increasing to 12 or 13 megapixels from the iPhone 5’s six megapixels.
The bottom of phone also shows a radical change from the iPhone 5’s design. The metal spacer cushion that backs the iPhone 5S’ home button differs from that of the iPhone 5 by sloping sharply down on one edge, leading to a repositioning of the spacer’s fixing screw.
For many, the change validates building evidence that the new iPhone will include a fingerprint scanner underneath the home button.
The inclusion of a biometric security device has previously been suggested by analysts, with developers also discovering folders in the iOS 7 beta concerning a ‘BiometricKitUI’ and image descriptions of users specifically touching the iPhone’s home button with their thumb.
The iPhone 5S’ announcement and subsequent release are rumoured to happen at an Apple press event on September 10th.