A European patent surfacing on none other than Patently Apple gives a detailed sneak peak at what could be a major part of tomorrow's iPhone 5S announcement. Not only has Apple been working on an integrated home button fingerprint sensor, but the company plans to integrate the technology with Near Field Communications (NFC).
Glimpses of the new home button can be seen on leaked iPhone 5S packaging, showing a silver ring around the home button on the black front bezel. The device would automatically scan the user's fingerprint using capacitive touch technology, which analysts predict will be housed under a sapphire lens. Fingerprint scanning and NFC would be facilitated by redesigned internal parts, including a home button ribbon with integrated chip.