News from the Apple front today is somewhat mind-blowing. The new iOS 7 Beta supports fingerprint recognition technology. This news comes from a London programmer that found traces of fingerprint technology while rifling around in Library files of the new OS (available to developers at this stage). The code that the developer found points directly at the completion of fingerprint technology.

If the information that was uncovered is correct, the next iPhone will ask users to unlock phones using fingerprint scanning technology. According to this one developer's findings, users would place one finger on a new iPhone's 'Home' button to unlock the phone, after the Home button changed colors during the recognition process.

Just for Unlocking?

Some rumors have been making the rounds that Apple will be implementing a payment system soon, and that the new fingerprint technology will help to move that system forward. But, there's a bigger reason why the possibility of fingerprint scanning technology on the new iPhone is big news: it could mean the end of passwords as we know them.

The disintegration of passwords is a big deal. Not only would the new iPhone be the first to get rid of passwords, but it could mean a new future for devices of all kinds. Fingerprint technology isn't a new thing, but it's something that hasn't been readily available to the public before. Now, Apple is working to bring that accessibility one step further.

Arrival Details

At the time of this writing, all of the information included in this article is based on speculative findings by one developer. How reliable are those findings? More often than not, developers do not want to tarnish a reputation by making false claims, so there's a pretty good chance that the rumors are, in fact, true.

Here's another thought: if Apple makes fingerprint technology available through iOS, users could, potentially, use one device to unlock a whole bunch of passwords. Just think about the number of apps that you currently have on your phone, and think about all of the passwords you have to use to open up those apps. Now, imagine if all those apps could be opened and controlled with one fingerprint - amazing.

When will you see this technology?

When the new iPhones Will Arrive

It's hard to pinpoint an exact iPhone arrival date. Apple is pretty good at keeping this kind of information under wraps. However, there's a decent chance that the new iPhones will arrive sometime this fall. Usually, companies like to introduce new devices right before the holiday season, so that's the time of year to keep your eye on.

The big question now is: will the new iPhone come with fingerprint technology? Only Apple developers know for sure, but it certainly looks that way. As far as what the rest of the phone looks like, there are plenty of rumors floating around, though none of those rumors have been proven true quite yet. Stay tuned to this blog for more details about the new iPhone when it does arrive!