Smartphones with biometric security to go mainstream in 2014

Smartphones featuring biometric technology for secure access will become mainstream in 2014, Swedish network provider Ericsson says. Apple has begun the trend with the September release of the iPhone 5s, which included a fingerprint reader intended to increase security and improve usability. A poll by Ericsson ConsumerLab of 100,000 people in more than 40 countries, found 74 percent of respondents saying they believe biometric smartphones "will become mainstream" during 2014. More than half said they would prefer to use their fingerprints rather than a complex alphanumeric combination of letters, numbers, and characters, while almost half said they would be interested in eye-recognition technology to unlock their phones, an Ericsson release said Wednesday. More smartphone makers are expected to join the movement to offering one or another form of biometric security embedded in their devices to unlock them and secure their data, Ericsson said. "The most important trend we see is the mass demand for apps and services across all industries and societal sectors -- which has the potential to fundamentally change everyday life," ConsumerLab head Michael Bjorn said.