X

Apple wants fingerprint sensors in its products

Apple enters into a deal with AuthenTec, which it also plans to buy, to commercialize 2D fingerprint sensors for use in or with Apple products.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
See full bio
Roger Cheng
2 min read
Apple

The next big Apple feature could be a 2D fingerprint scanner.

Back in July, Apple licensed technology from AuthenTec to commercialize 2D fingerprint sensors for use in or with Apple products, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made yesterday. Apple has already said it has agreed to buy the security technology provider for $356 million, though the deal still needs shareholder approval.

The news was first reported by The Next Web.

Apple has a history of acquiring companies for their unique technology. Siri, for instance, was acquired and not developed internally.

CNET contacted Apple for further details on its plans for AuthenTec. We'll update the story when the company responds.

Apple appears to be in hurry. The company also entered into a joint development agreement in which AuthenTec would perform engineering work.

The SEC filing, a proxy sent out to AuthenTec shareholders to approve the deal, spills some interesting details. Representatives of Apple and AuthenTec first met in February to talk about a licensing deal, but Apple balked at the terms.

When the talks over the terms of the deal stalled, Apple came back in May with an offer to buy AuthenTec outright, and made it clear it would not be interested in a commercial agreement. At the time, Apple was the only company taking a serious interest in the technology.

The move to acquire AuthenTec suggests Apple wanted the technology for itself. A fingerprint sensor would be handy in large business or government agencies where security is paramount. For consumers, it could be an attractive way to lock up Apple's upcoming Passbook, which acts as a digital wallet on the next version of iOS.