Synaptics unveils optical fingerprint sensor, may debut in Galaxy S8
The fingerprint sensors conquered the smartphones after Apple made those cool again with the iPhone 5s. The last four years those went from sluggish security to super-fast recognition and today those are pretty much a necessary feature for every phone.
But with the bezel-less phones about to become the new trend next year and with the manufacturers fighting for precious space both in the exterior and the insides, the conventional fingerprint sensors are becoming an obstacle.
This is where the new-gen optical fingerprint scanners come in handy. They can work through glass and can easily sit behind the display, losing no precious space on the front panel.
Synaptics unveiled today the industry-first optical fingerprint scanner for smartphones and tablets, which works through 1mm cover glass. It allows buttonless design and yet keep the high-precision biometric security feature intact.
The FS9100 optical sensor work even through 2.5D type of glass, so the manufacturers can get creative where they put those. They support PurePrint technology, which can recognize fake from real fingerprints.
Today"s announcement kind of spills the beans on what fingerprint sensor the Galaxy S8 may be using. One of the first rumor for the Samsung"s next big thing was saying goodbye to the hardware Home key and relying on an optical fingerprint scanner behind the screen.
There is always a chance Samsung may end up using a sensor from another manufacturer, which is yet to be announced. But one thing is sure - next year will probably be remembered with the retirement of the hardware OS controls, the optical fingerprint readers, and the thinner than ever bezels.