The Touch ID feature of the iPhone 5s has proved hugely successful so far. Sure, the introduction of the gold model of Apple's latest and greatest probably upstaged the new fingerprint sensor, but in offering better security while also adding to the perceived "cool" factor of the iconic handset, Touch ID has certainly gone down well. According to the guys over at AppleInsider, the Cupertino company is set to step up the feature's functionality by means of a forthcoming software update, which will render Touch ID better able to recognize fingerprints whilst also taking care of a "fade" issue that has hit some users.
The maker of the iPhone, iPad and Apple TV has updated its iOS Security document to include intricate, detailed information pertaining to the Touch ID sensor that is found on the iPhone 5s. The launch of the iPhone 5s, along with the ability to authenticate and access the device using biometric detection, brought with it a myriad of questions and concerns from the security conscious. Apple hopes that the updated PDF document will answer a few of those outstanding concerns.
Apple's latest and greatest smartphone, the iPhone 5s, has brought with it a host of new and exciting features. The A7 processor is backed up by 64-bit architecture, and with a dual-LED True Tone flash to accompany the improved rear-facing camera, the handset has been the subject of much acclaim. But aside from the gold model, which prompted an incredible response, the main talking point has been that mysterious Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Beefing up security, it has slotted into the iPhone repertoire rather nicely, but with the recent work of Evad3rs, what could the jailbreak community do with this new technology? Here, we survey some of the best Touch ID-related tweaks for the iPhone 5s.
When the iPhone 5s first arrived in September, the feature that many were drawn to was the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and although some were quick to dismiss the new implementation as a gimmick, it has very much established itself as a well-crafted security asset. Given that, for such a new feature, Touch ID is already very reliable, it stands to reason that we would want to use something similar for our password needs on a more universal scale, and thanks to a little jailbreak tweak called UnlockID, Mac users can call upon Touch ID for their desktop password-entering needs.
There's been a ton of innovative and exciting mobile and desktop apps and tools that have managed to attract a lot of initial attention before falling into obscurity. Remember Knock? The app that allows you to unlock your Mac without inputting a password? Sure, it still has a fair amount of satisfied users, but the hype around it seems to have quickly dissipated into nothing. The same affliction doesn't seem to be applied in equal measures to tweaks that are released into the jailbreak world, with hype already starting to build for BioUnlock, a tweak that hooks into the iPhone 5s Touch ID sensor to essentially offer the same functionality as Knock.
Arguably the most distinguishing feature of the iPhone 5s was its Touch ID fingerprint sensor, which made it all the more unique not just from all other iPhones, iPod touches and iPads, but rather, any other smartphone on the market as well. However, one issue that this caused potentially for the newest iPhone’s availability was low production rates, resulting in long wait times for even early adopters. Now, according to a recent report from DigiTimes, the TSMC, Apple’s supplier for fingerprint sensors, is not only gearing up to initiate production in Q2 this year, but also on a larger scale, in hopes to meet the production needs and demands for the upcoming iPhone 6 that is probably going to get released at the end of this year.
When it turned out that all the rumors were true and Apple was indeed going to bring fingerprint technology to the iPhone, the immediate question was an obvious one; what exactly can and cannot be done with a fingerprint?
In the interest of adding additional competition in the jailbroken world of biometric detection, a developer by the name of Ryan P has thrown his hat into the ring in the form of AppScan. The package, which is available as an immediate free-of-charge download, is the developer’s equivalent of BioLockdown for iPhone 5s, Applocker for iOS 7 and BioProtect for iPhone 5s, except it has the added bonus of being entirely free. The release of the three aforementioned packages clearly proves that there's a market for this type of tweak, but is there a market for a free variant that may or may not continue to receive support?
Apple's Touch ID sensor on the 64-bit iPhone 5s seems to be what is currently hot at the moment among Cydia developers, with a number of them taking the opportunity to release tweaks that rely on biometric authentication to perform specific tasks. Ryan Petrich, of Activator fame, is the latest to adopt current trends with the release of his BioLockdown package, available to download now.
Jailbreaking. We love it, if only because it allows us access to features that Apple, for one reason or another, has refused to give us. At first it was being able to have Notification Center on the lock screen before iOS 7 brought it to the masses. We also had jailbreak tweaks that let us launch the Camera app from the lock screen before it appeared in an official release of iOS. Now, we've got another feature that Apple hasn't brought to iOS, and it's great.
