Apple iOS 7 Ushers in Mobile Biometrics: Report

As developers come to grips with Apple’s upcoming iOS 7 mobile operating system, clues to the Cupertino, Calif.-based company’s new approach to mobile security have emerged.

Following rumors that the next-generation iPhone would sport a home button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner, Apple released iOS 7 beta 4 on July 29, which contains code for a Biometric Kit. According to VentureBeat’s John Koetsier, some revealing text is tucked into some of the interface components of the beta.

Koetsier shared some of the revealing text strings include. “‘Photo of a person holding an iPhone with their right hand while touching the Home button with their thumb,’ is one, while another says ‘Recognition is x% complete,’ and another says ‘A fingerprint that changes color during the setup process’,” he wrote.

iOS 7 represents a major shift for Apple. In addition to marking a radical departure from the mobile operating system’s signature look, the newest version will feature a male voice option for Siri, new AirDrop-enabled peer-to-peer file transfer capabilities and a quick-access Control Center that allows iPhone owners to toggle and configure frequently used settings without digging through menu screens.

Consumers aren’t the only ones Apple is targeting with the OS update. Of late, Apple has been publicizing iOS 7’s mobile device management (MDM) capabilities. “iOS 7 provides enhanced security, powerful new ways to configure and deploy devices at scale, and features to help businesses purchase, distribute, and manage apps with ease,” boasted the company in a recently published guide to the platform’s new business-friendly features.

Enhancements include a “number of new commands, queries, and configuration options that make third-party MDM solutions even more powerful,” informed Apple. On the security front, iOS 7 will also supports per app VPN, enterprise single sign on and data encryption for third party apps.

Now it appears that biometric safeguards are being added to the mix ahead of the next iPhone.

While Apple has remained characteristically tight-lipped about its future mobile device launch plans, the iPhone 5 is due for a refresh by September, according to industry watchers and the company’s occasionally fluid release schedule. The device, widely rumored to be called iPhone 5S, is expected to include a fingerprint scanner in the aforementioned home button, potentially providing an alternative to the lock screen and other authentication methods that are imposed on iPhone users.

The lock screen, in particular, has proven to be a persistent thorn in Apple’s side. More than once, flaws have allowed users to bypass the “Enter Passcode” screen, practically giving unauthorized users free rein to a locked iPhone’s apps and data.

Pedro Hernandez is a contributing editor at Datamation and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ecoINSITE.

RELATED NEWS AND ANALYSIS

• Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Driving Greater Equality

  FEATURE |  By James Maguire,
  December 16, 2020

• AI vs. Machine Learning vs. Deep Learning

  FEATURE |  By Cynthia Harvey,
  December 11, 2020

• Huawei’s AI Update: Things Are Moving Faster Than We Think

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  December 04, 2020

• Keeping Machine Learning Algorithms Honest in the ‘Ethics-First’ Era

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
  November 18, 2020

• Key Trends in Chatbots and RPA

  FEATURE |  By Guest Author,
  November 10, 2020

• Top 10 AIOps Companies

  FEATURE |  By Samuel Greengard,
  November 05, 2020

• What is Text Analysis?

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
  November 02, 2020

• How Intel’s Work With Autonomous Cars Could Redefine General Purpose AI

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
  October 29, 2020

• Dell Technologies World: Weaving Together Human And Machine Interaction For AI And Robotics

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
  October 23, 2020

• The Super Moderator, or How IBM Project Debater Could Save Social Media

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  October 16, 2020

• Top 10 Chatbot Platforms

  FEATURE |  By Cynthia Harvey,
  October 07, 2020

• Finding a Career Path in AI

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Guest Author,
  October 05, 2020

• CIOs Discuss the Promise of AI and Data Science

  FEATURE |  By Guest Author,
  September 25, 2020

• Microsoft Is Building An AI Product That Could Predict The Future

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  September 25, 2020

• Top 10 Machine Learning Companies 2021

  FEATURE |  By Cynthia Harvey,
  September 22, 2020

• NVIDIA and ARM: Massively Changing The AI Landscape

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By Rob Enderle,
  September 18, 2020

• Continuous Intelligence: Expert Discussion [Video and Podcast]

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By James Maguire,
  September 14, 2020

• Artificial Intelligence: Governance and Ethics [Video]

  ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE |  By James Maguire,
  September 13, 2020

• IBM Watson At The US Open: Showcasing The Power Of A Mature Enterprise-Class AI

  FEATURE |  By Rob Enderle,
  September 11, 2020

• Artificial Intelligence: Perception vs. Reality

  FEATURE |  By James Maguire,
  September 09, 2020