A new report says that the new iPhone 5S may do away with the home button and replace it with sapphire crystal and add a new fingerprint sensor.
A Taiwanese news site released the report from a supply chain source, according to Cult of Mac. Sapphire crystal is already used in the iPhone, as a camera lens on the back, and is reputed to be almost as hard as a diamond. The home button now be "capacitive touch home button" with a fingerprint sensor.
As we have reported before, Apple bought fingerprint-authenticating company AuthenTec for $356 million last year and the technology always seemed destined for its devices. The report suggested that the new phone will be available by September -- alongside a new plastic, low-cost iPhone.
This leads us to believe that Apple has created the sapphire crystal iPhone 5S as its "luxury model" and the plastic one its "economy model." We're betting not that many will be showing off the latter.
