14 DAY TRIAL // A research note from KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo claims the iPhone 5S will switch from a concave Home button to a convex version to accommodate a new fingerprint sensing technology.
Rumored to sport biometric enhancements, Apple’s next-generation iPhone will reportedly use a convex Home button made of sapphire.
“Convex home button creates space for fingerprint sensor; yield to improve. We think that a fingerprint sensor will be placed under the home button of iPhone 5S,” Kuo’s research note reads.
“However, assembling it could be difficult as the space under home button is limited as it already has to accommodate the Lightning connector, speaker and microphone.”
“Thus, we think the shape of the home button could be changed from concave to convex to create more space for a fingerprint sensor,” says Kuo.
According to research done by KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo, the new shape is required to accommodate a proper fingerprint reading area, while the material chosen by Apple (sapphire) is necessary because a protuberant part is more prone to scratching.
“Sapphire prevents home button from being scratched. A convex home button could be more easily scratched, so a harder material is required,” Kuo relays.
“We believe Apple will switch from plastic to sapphire, whose hardness is second only to diamond. Sapphire would protect the home button from being scratched and the fingerprint sensor from being damaged,” says the analyst.
Apple reportedly has a better fingerprint reader than most competitors, as the company is using RF and capacitive technology from its AuthenTec acquisition, which is a more advanced method (compared to traditional optical recognition technologies).
Apple’s new generation of iPhones (which reportedly includes a lower-cost iPhone 5C) is set to launch September 10, according to sources in the tech industry.