iPhone 5S to feature sapphire-covered home screen key?

News Clare Hopping 09:50, 15 May 2013

The iPhone 5S is said to feature a sapphire-covered capacitive home screen button with fingerprint sensor

A Taiwanese website had leaked the iPhone 5S may come with a sapphire-covered capacitive fingerprint reader and homescreen button.

According to TechNews, the iPhone 5S's needs to be sapphire-coated to accommodate the sensor.

Cult of Mac translated the post, that said:

'Apple is expected to do away with the traditional physical home button, which has long been one of the most unreliable components on iOS devices. It’s thought that using sapphire crystal, which has a hardness second only to diamond, will prevent the button from getting scratched and ruining the fingerprint sensor. [...]

They insist Apple will employ a capacitive touch home button for the first time with the iPhone 5S, eliminating one of the most unreliable components in an iOS device (the physical home button has a tendency to fail after long periods of use).'

This latest rumour could of course be another red herring - after all, everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to announce the 'latest iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 rumour'.

It's not the first time we've heard the iPhone 5S may have a fingerprint sensor though. Apple posted a job ad that suggested it would be introducing a fingerprint scanner on its devices and an analyst has also confirmed it may have the extra security feature.

iPhone 5S fingerprint scanner a reality according to job posting

iPhone 5S will feature NFC and fingerprint scanner

Sapphire is well-known as a scratch-resistant surface, making it desirable for tech such as fingerprint readers that need to have a clear surface in order to work correctly. The iPhone 5 already has a sapphire crystal camera lens around the back to protect it from scratches and scrapes.

Apple is due to announce a new iPhone before 2013 is out, although it's undecided whether the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 will launch. There are even rumours of a budget iPhone launching, although this seems a little far-fetched given Apple's penchant for premium devices.