Pantech Phones: Vega LTE-A Release Beats Rumored Spec Of iPhone 5S, First Smartphone With Fingerprint Sensor

Pantech phones of South Korea released the Vega LTE-A, the first smartphone with fingerprint sensor designed to improve the phone’s security, according to the International Business Times.

The release of the handset implies that the rumored iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 will not be the first smartphone to bear the much-awaited feature. According to the Business Times, the new Pantech phone is one of the first to run on South Korea’s newly launched LTE-Advanced network and the first smartphone to hit the market with embedded fingerprint recognition software.

The new 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, which runs on Android 4.2.2. The competitive finerprint sensor spec is localized to a small area on the phone’s back.

Pantech isn’t nearly as famous as Apple’s iPhone or Samsung Galaxy series in the U.S. The American subsidiary of the Seoul tech giant, Pantech USA, has mainly offered the phones as a budget device for carriers like AT&T, Verizon and U.S. cellular.

The large 1080p HD display of the handset and 13-megapixel camera gives its a very competitive edge from its rivals, but the U.S. market is still getting iPhones and Galaxy S series. According to rumors, the fingerprint sensor of the upcoming iPhones is the centerpiece of this year’s release and a primary differentiator from last year’s iPhone 5.

According to the Business Times, the “S” in the name of the iPhone 5S stands for “security” or “sensor.” The name could well be the reference for tech company AuthenTec’s most prized product, “Smart Sensor.”

It is important to note that Apple purchased AuthenTec in July. The “Smart Sensor” technology that the Florida-based company developed was announced last May.