If you weren't already convinced that Apple's next iPhone could come with a fingerprint scanner, a newly leaked set of photos could change your mind. Images of what claims to be the internal components of Apple's iPhone 5S have appeared online, hinting that a fingerprint scanner could sit right near the home button.

French blog Nowhereelse.fr, which has been known to leak components for unreleased Apple products in the past, has published images that show the internal components of the alleged iPhone 5S. The photo set compares Apple's next iPhone alongside the current generation iPhone, outlining the key differences between the two handsets. One pair of images depicts a redesigned metal spacer cushion near the home button that features a new cut out for additional components. This has sparked speculation that a fingerprint scanner could be placed in this area, although there's no way to know for sure until Apple makes the announcement.

Rumors that Apple would place a biometric sensor on its future devices have spread ever since Apple acquired AuthenTec in 2012. Meanwhile, the company has published numerous patents describing fingerprint detection technology, such as the filing that it the US Patent & Trademark Office's website back in October 2012.

More recent evidence that Apple's next iPhone could include a fingerprint sensor has been discovered in code for the beta version of iOS 7. At the end of July developer Hamza Sood spotted a folder within the OS' beta titled "BiometricKitUI" with a UI description that read "a user being able to swipe the sensor on the iPhone's home button."

The addition of a biometric fingerprint scanner is just one of the many rumors surrounding Apple's next iPhone. While the device is expected to come with Apple's next generation A7 chip, more recent leaks have suggested that it will be available in a golden champagne color as well. This is out of character for Apple since it usually releases its flagship smartphones exclusively in black and white color options.

Apple may lay these rumors to rest on September 10 at its rumored pressed event where the next-generation iPhone 5S is slated to make its debut.

Image via Flickr, CPOA

This article originally published at LAPTOP Magazine here