Apple may be prepping its future devices for use of fingerprint recognition technology, as it will be part of iOS 7 beta 4, PC Magazine reported.

Hamza Sood, an Apple developer tweeted the news Monday along with a photo of a code indicating the fingerprint technology would be used on the home screen button. An unnamed source told 9 to 5 Mac the fingerprint recognition system had been completed, and the news was confirmation of that.

The feature will likely be used to unlock the phone, but uses beyond that are not known. According to PC Magazine, the technology could be used for a rumored Apple payment system or for integrated into the use of other built-in apps, like Passbook.


Apple unveiled iOS 7 during its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) and called it "the biggest change to iOS since the iPhone." Stating it would be available in the fall, the tech giant made a beta version available to a limited amount of users. The new interface features flatter icons, a new radio service, multi-tasking for apps, lock screen accessible notifications and updates to Siri, iTunes and the camera.

Apple has continued to withhold any information regarding the next iPhone model or the next iPad tablet device. 9 to 5 Mac and numerous other sources have said Apple is experimenting with larger screens and a cheaper option made with a plastic shell.

Bloomberg reported Monday that Apple launched an investigation into the working conditions of their Pegatron factories in China following a report that cited numerous violations.

The report from China Labor Work also included explicit details of a low-cost plastic iPhone currently in development.

"At this moment, in Shanghai, China, workers in Apple's supplier factory Pegatron are monotonously working long overtime hours to turn out a scaled-back, less expensive version of the iPhone," the report said.

Apple did not address their rumored product and kept specifically to the allegations of workplace violations.

"We will investigate these new claims thoroughly, ensure that corrective actions are taken where needed and report any violations of our code of conduct," Carolyn Wu, a Beijing-based spokeswoman for Apple, told Bloomberg. "We will not tolerate deviations from our code."