iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 Release Date: Rumored Fingerprint Sensor For Apple Handset Not The First Smartphone To Have Feature, Launch For Device Pegged At Sept. 20

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 release date is being predicted for next month but according to one blog, with some claiming that September 20 is the day it will be released.

But the much awaited iPhone 5S is not the first smartphone to have the anticipated fingerprint sensor feature.

Dave Smith of the International Business Times said that phone company Pantech, based in South Korea, release the Pantech Vega LTE-A. It’s one of the first handsets to run on the country’s newly launched LTE-Advanced network and the first smartphone to hit the market with an embedded fingerprint recognition software.

Pantech isn’t as commonly recognized as iPhone, Galaxy S4, HTC One and similar handsets and it’s primarily because the company caters to the domestic Korean market and is actually ahead of LG in the arena. It’s U.S. based subsidiary, Pantech USA, has launched the Pantech Discover as a budget phone for the AT&T network.

The recently released Pantech Vega LTE-A features a 5.6-inch full HD display and is powered by a 2.3 GHZ quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, according to the Business Times. It runs on Android 4.2.2 and the fingerprint sensor is located at a small area on the phone’s back.

Aside from the Pantech Vega LTE-A, other smartphones have also begun introducing the feature. The Motorola Atrix 2 almost introduced a fingerprint sensor in 2011, noted the Business Times. LG’s G2 is also rumored to be have the fingerprint sensor feature in its spec.

The Pantech Vega LTE-A has a 1080P HD display and a 13-megapixel camera. Consumers in the U.S., however, are still focused in waiting for the iPhone 5S and the so-called budget phone, iPhone 6.

Apple’s interest in fingerprint sensor technology was highly evident when it acquired Florida-based AuthenTec last July.

The “S” in the name of the alleged iPhone 5S” stands for “security” or “sensor” and could be a reference to the most prized technology of AuthenTec, it’s “Smart Sensor.” The sensor was announced last May before it was acquired by the Cupertino tech giant in July.

The fingerprint sensor may allow the iPhone 5S to automatically authenticate one’s identity, which will minimize the need for a passcode and possibly as a way to combat the ever-proliferating iPhone thievery.

In the meanwhile, the iPhone 6 also dubbed as the iPhone Light or iPhone C is expected to be released together with the iPhone 5S and will be touted as the budget phone amongst the iPhone variants. It is rumored to come in plastic casings and will be sold at a base price of $99 with a two-year contract.