iPhone 5S Home Button Has Fingerprint Scanner, Looks Similar, Report Says

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Apple's iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C have been the center of hundreds of rumors over the past several weeks. We've seen leaks, heard about a possible gold model and more. However, one rumor that has existed for seemingly years now, is that Apple is working to add a fingerprint scanner into the iPhone 5S home button. Several parts have suggested that will indeed be the case, though there were some mumbles that the addition could change the look of the home button. That won't be the case, according to a new report.

Mark Gurman from 9to5Mac, which breaks plenty of accurate Apple news, recently said that he has learned the new home button, equipped with a fingerprint scanner, won't change the aesthetics of the device. In fact, the whole phone will look "almost identical to the iPhone 5," Gurman said, save for the dual-LED flash and beefier hardware under the hood. The fingerprint scanner won't be a distinguishing factor to most people looking at the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5, and apparently it won't be used for any sort of mobile payment link, so it's going to be purely used for unlocking the device at first, it sounds like.

Gurman also revealed a few other tidbits from his sources at Apple. Apparently they are more fond of the white and black models than they are of the gold iPhone 5S in development. Also, the iPad release for iOS 7 may be running behind schedule and could launch at a later date than iOS 7 for the iPhone. It seems possible that release could fall in-line with a rumored iPad event later this year.