The iPhone 5S model, the more expensive of two 4G handsets unveiled by Apple, goes on sale on 20 September
It used to be the ultimate crime scene clue. Now Apple has transformed the fingerprint into a key to unlock the wealth of personal information that is stored on the iPhone.
The
company's new flagship 5S model, the more expensive of two 4G handsets
unveiled at its headquarters on Tuesday night, goes on sale on 20
September, and will be able to identify its owner by scanning a
fingertip.
The fingerprint scanner is built into the home button,
protected by a sapphire crystal coating, and uses a low radio frequency
signal to map the unique lines of its owner's index finger or thumb. It
is able to scan the dermis layer underneath the surface of the skin,
avoiding problems caused by damaged or dry fingertips. Without pressing,
the owner will be able to unlock their phone with one touch, and once
inside the device, a fingerprint will suffice as proof of identity to
purchase music, films, books and applications from Apple's stores.
The
5S will cost $649 (£549) without a contract, and also comes with a 10cm
(4in) screen and an 8 megapixel camera – the same as the iPhone 5 – with double the processing heft of its predecessor.
As
more services move online, and customers collect long lists of
passwords to access everything from bank accounts to office files,
fingerprint technology could prove a big step in making access to phones
and the sensitive information they contain simpler and more secure.
But
in an attempt to allay privacy fears, Apple was forced to deny it was
creating an archive of biometric information. "All fingerprint
information is encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Enclave
inside the A7 chip on the iPhone 5s," Apple said in a statement. "It's
never stored on Apple servers".
After five years in black and
white, the iPhone has burst into colour. With an eye on the lucrative
Chinese market, the 5S will now come in a muted gold, as well as silver
and grey.
The cheaper 5C, the other device unveiled, was described
by Apple's chief designer Sir Jonathan Ive as "beautifully,
unapologetically plastic", and will cost $549 (£469) without a contract.
The 5C comes with a choice of six back cases in a spectrum ranging from
coral pink to yellow. It will have the same screen size as its more
expensive stablemate, and will function on most 4G networks.
 |
| iPhone 5c: 4-inch Retina display, plastic design, available in five colors |
But
there was a surprise at the cost of the 5C. "This is not the cheap
product that many expected," said Carolina Milanesi, research
vice-president at Gartner.
In front of an audience which included
Yahoo's chief executive, Marissa Meyer – who has issued staff with
iPhones to ensure they are developing with mobility in mind – Apple's
chief executive, Tim Cook, set out to demonstrate the company retains
the creative mojo that flourished under Steve Jobs.
The inventions
of the Jobs era transformed the music and mobile industries, and are
threatening companies such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard as tablets and smartphones
begin to replace traditional PCs. But critics have questioned whether
under Cook Apple has the ability to repeat the trick. "The competition
has caught up and it's now purely about how quickly it can innovate and
drive its own experience forward," said Benedict Evans of research firm
Enders Analysis.
Apple is expected to sell 170m smartphones in
2013, second only to Samsung. Cook has set his sights on gaining ground
in China, where Apple languishes in seventh place behind South Korea's
Samsung and five domestic phone makers, some of them little known
outside Asia.Crucial to the iPhone's success in Asia its distribution
deal with Japan's NTT DoCoMo, but a much rumoured deal with China Mobile
was not mentioned during the showcase.
Unusually for a relatively
new model, the iPhone 5 has been discontinued; those looking for a more
budget handset will have to make do with the 4S, which was first
released more than two years ago.
