iPhone 5s brought in various features but its Touch ID sensor was the pancake dripping with maple syrup – nah! At least it was taken as the cherry of the entire package as the feature hadn’t been integrated by any other major smartphone manufacturer’s flagship (yes, we are saying Samsung). However, in only a few weeks of Apple iPhone 5s launch, reports started pouring in complaining about patchy, unreliable Touch ID fingerprint sensor. If reports are to be believed this year, Apple is going to offer a different Touch ID experience with enhanced durability and reliability.

Improved Touch ID sensor:

Apple is planning to integrate Touch ID fingerprint sensor in this year’s tablet series too. While previously exclusive to iPhone 5s, this year Touch ID sensor will be used by an array of Apple products including Air 2 and Mini 3 tablets and the two variants of iPhone 6. It has hence become more important for Apple to rethink Touch ID sensor and improve its durability.

While an increased use of Touch ID sensors may be one concern, another is the launch of iOS 8 with its unlimited features that could benefit from a seamless integration of fingerprint sensor. iOS 8 has also opened the Apple-world to third-party developers who could very well benefit from Touch ID improving and further enhancing its overall capabilities.

Last month we saw KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claiming that Apple will tweak Touch ID sensor design and is planned to use tin instead of chemicals used previously for durability. This same report has also claimed that Taiwanese Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and its subsidiary XinTec will be producing the Touch ID fingerprint sensors for Apple.

TSMC will produce 120 million Touch ID sensor modules this year to meet the demand for various devices that will use the fingerprint sensor this year. This is 233% growth from the previous year, as analyzed by KGI Securities. If the tweaked Touch ID fingerprint sensor works in the favor of Apple or not, we will have to see that in the Fall. However, from the leaks surrounding the matter, it does seem likely that Apple is aiming to create a no-nonsense fingerprint sensor experience this year.

– Source: China Times