iPhone: Walmart Cuts Price of ‘Lose Your Fingers’ 5S Model

While most of the publicity surrounding Walmart’s heavy discounting of the new iPhone is concentrated on the cheaper 5C model, they are also cutting the price of the top end 5S model.

Some people are already dubbing the 5S the ‘Lose Your Fingers’ model because of an un-anticipated side effect of its unique fingerprint scanner. The Touch ID sensor is built into the iPhone’s ‘home’ button and is used to unlock the phone.

According to a report in the Daily Mail, a leading security researcher has suggested that the technology could actually lead to an increase in crime, with the robberies potentially becoming more brutal.

Marc Rogers, from the San Francisco-based firm Lookout, said, “Fingerprints are not fool-proof and can be duplicated and as the usage of this technology increases, we can expect that duplication technology will improve as well.” He continued, “Thieves in some regions have worked out that you can force a victim to unlock a secured device, and in extreme cases this brutality could lead to fingers being cut off.”

Unfortunately, this suggestion may not be as far-fetched as it appears at first glance. There are many recorded instances of people being mugged, and even murdered, for their mobile phone.

Those willing to murder for the latest model are unlikely to be deterred by a small detail like a few fingers.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, explained that Touch ID is secure because “all fingerprint information is encrypted and stored securely inside the device’s chip.”

And, as a further deterrent to would be finger removers, Apple has stated that the Touch ID sensor is “capacitive.”

This means that it will only work with live fingers that have a recognizable pulse, so the fingers still need to be joined to the hand!

All things considered, maybe it is worth taking advantage of iPhone discounts at Walmart after all.

Clarification:

Lookout have requested that we clarify that the remarks attributed to Marc Rogers by the Daily Mail referred to devices other than mobile phones and that those events occurred very rarely.

Lookout does not believe that thieves chopping off fingers to gain access to phones is a valid risk with fingerprint technology. If implemented correctly, consumers will have a convenient way to secure their device and fingerprint technology has the potential to usher in a new generation of secure mobile services.