Apple will incorporate Touch ID fingerprint sensors into a variety of new devices this year, including the new iPhone 6 models, the second-generation iPad Air (or iPad 6), and the third-generation iPad mini, a new report from China indicates. China Times has learned that Apple will significantly increase Touch ID orders this year, with shipments expected to hit 120 million units, a 233% increase compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, the new Touch ID modules will be even more durable than their predecessors, the report says. The fingerprint sensor will be even more important for Apple’s future plans, as the company announced at WWDC 2014 that developers will have access to the Touch ID functionality, which could be added to a variety of apps that require stronger security, especially finance-related ones.
More importantly, the fingerprint scanner may one day be used for Apple’s rumored mobile payment plans that have been detailed in some reports, and even in existing Apple patents.
A recent leak, purportedly showing the iPhone 6, iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2, reveals that all these upcoming 2014 iOS devices will incorporate a Touch ID home button.
