iPhone 6 fingerprint: Apple considering touch security

An intriguing tidbit came through the Apple rumor mill hinting at additions to the iPhone technology that would introduce biosecurity to the device for mobile payment.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, of KGI Sercurities, told Apple Insider that the latest innovation in the next generation of iPhones could be a fingerprint censor under the home button, allowing for extra security in a way that its competition will struggle to replicate.

The sensor would pave the way for Apple to integrate Near Field Communication--technology often used in "digital wallet" applications--by using fingerprint recognition for increased transaction security.

Fingerprint recognition could also eliminated the need for usernames and passwords, streamlining the user interface.

The fingerprint sensor would be integrated into the home button, fitting with Apple's devotion to sleek, minimalist design. Competitor's phones such as those that run Android and Windows, with more than one button below the display, could struggle to make fingerprint scanning intuitive, Kuo said.

Apple's 2012 acquisition of AuthenTec, which has developed a "Smart Sensor," was a big clue into Apple's plans for the fingerprinting technology. And though Apple typically refuses to confirm its plans, Kuo has a proven track record: he successfully predicted the company's entire third quarter lineup last year.