Takeover may let Apple bring fingerprint security to its iPhone 5
Apple is due to secure its acquisition of a company specialising in fingerprint scanning next month, days after the latest iPhone goes on sale, suggesting the technology will be used to improve security in the world's bestselling phone.
The board of AuthenTec is expected to agree to a $365m (£228m) acquisition by Apple – one of the largest sums paid in a takeover by the California technology giant – when it votes on 4 October.
The company specialises in mobile phone security and is developing 2D fingerprint sensors for Apple, according to the merger documents. The two companies have been talking since late last year and there have been suggestions the hi-tech sensors could appear as an eyecatching feature of the iPhone 5 when it is unwrapped on Wednesday.
