Apple preparing software update to enhance functionality of iPhone 5s Touch ID

A supply acquainted with Apple's development plans same the corporate is cognizant of early adoptive parent problems that several iPhone 5s users area unit experiencing with bit ID, the fingerprint recognition feature introduced last year once exploit AuthenTec in 2012.

After launching iPhone 5s last fall, Apple has continuing to figure with the initial AuthenTec team to enhance its recognition package and can unharness associate degree update comparatively before long, the supply with confidence according. However, AppleInsider couldn't verify whether or not the update can ship as a part of iOS seven.1, that is anticipated to visit time period.

While initial reviews of bit ID usually praised the "single touch" system for being straightforward to line up and systematically correct, variety of users have according what's being referred to as "AuthenTec Fade," or intermittent recognition failures that begin to occur months once initial configuring one's prints.

Multiple users stricken by the "AuthenTec Fade" downside have noted that reconfiguring their prints appears to come back the system to its initial performance, however once many weeks the supposed "fade" creeps back.

Another trick recommended in user forms is to put together your most ordinarily used finger multiple times as separate fingers, beneath the idea that this makes it additional possible that the system will acknowledge the print on the primary attempt.

While there area unit actually some problems with fingerprint recognition that Apple merely cannot solve, together with tissue injury that might render a fingerprint utterly unclear or extraordinarily wet conditions that might either swell a user's skin to the purpose wherever the print is really too completely different to acknowledge, there area unit enhancements the corporate will deliver in a very package update which will improve users' bit ID expertise.

Prior to its acquisition by Apple, AuthenTec had been speedily innovating in each hardware and package at an everyday pace. trendy electronic fingerprint sensors had appeared on netbook computers for a minimum of 5 years, and Motorola had incorporated a swipe-style fingerprint sensing element from AuthenTec on its unfortunate Atrix 4G phone in early 2011.

By the tip of 2011, Atrix users were repining publicly forums that their fingerprint sensing element wasn't engaging at all, which newer versions of humanoid lacked support for the sensing element hardware. consequent versions of Motorola's phone born the fingerprint reading feature.

AuthenTec began floating a replacement fingerprint recognizer package representing the foremost advanced sensing element and package technology out there for mobile devices in late 2011, however the corporate afterward divulged in SEC filings that none of the businesses that AuthenTec approached with its latest technology expressed interest in adopting it except Apple.

The company specifically noted that the most reason that no different firms had expressed any interest within the new technology concerned the comparatively high value of its new sensing element resolution. Apple was affected enough to quickly act to accumulate the corporate entirely, in a very $356 million purchase that pictured one among the biggest company acquisitions Apple has ever created.

Over following year, Apple and AuthenTec increased their fingerprint resolution, developing a sapphire cowl to guard the fragile sensing element incorporated with the iPhone 5s home button and making a setup and recognition method applicable for iOS seven.