This week I told you that Apple is developing an iPhone without a Home button, those from Cupertino integrating the Touch ID sensor into the screen for reading fingerprints, thus eliminating the need to hold the button.
The information has not been confirmed by any source inside Apple for now, but a recent purchase made by those from Cupertino undoubtedly reveals their plans regarding the eventual launch of a iPhone without Home button in a year or maybe even two.
Apple struggled for several years to buy the technologies of an American company, named Privaris, and recently he managed to do it, acquiring 26 of the 31 invention patents that his company owns, 4 of them being purchased in 2012, others in 2014.
The technologies from Privaris are related to fingerprint reading systems and those related to touchscreens, Apple now having some of the necessary ones not only to improve the system touch ID for reading fingerprints, but also to expand its functionality.
More precisely, Privaris' technologies allow the implementation of a sensor for reading fingerprints in the iPhone screen, the removal of the Home button becoming possible, but separately reading fingerprints could open a door, as does the authorization of a payment through Apple Pay.
For example, one of Privaris' patents covers the ability to use a touchscreen and fingerprint reader at the same time. Another invention of Privaris' could allow you to open a door with your iPhone by scanning your fingerprint and holding your phone up to a reader, similar to how you pay for items with Apple Pay.
The Apple company did not buy Privaris, but preferred to purchase its technologies for implementation in the iPhone or iPad, avoiding hiring any of the engineers who contributed to the creation of these technologies, so it relies only on its own people for implementation.
Practically, since December 2014, Apple has all the necessary technologies to launch an iPhone without a Home button, but no one can say whether this radical change will come with iPhone 6S or only next year together with iPhone 7.
For such an important change, Apple also needs partners capable of producing screens that have sensors for reading integrated fingerprints, and for now they cannot meet Apple's requirements, so it remains to be seen when we will have an iPhone without a Home button.
