“For added security, Acer has embedded a Synaptics Natural ID fingerprint sensor into the Switch 5’s power button, a design move that appears to emulate recent high-profile fingerprint sensor integrations in Apple’s MacBook Pro and Huawei’s Matebook X.”

Acer’s newest convertible laptop has a built-in fingerprint sensor, with the biometric technology having been provided by Synaptics.

Called the Acer Switch 5, the device is essentially a powerful tablet with an attachable keyboard. For added security, Acer has embedded a Synaptics Natural ID fingerprint sensor into the Switch 5’s power button, a design move that appears to emulate recent high-profile fingerprint sensor integrations in Apple’s MacBook Pro and Huawei’s Matebook X. The sensor runs on Synaptics’ SecureLink encryption technology.

In a statement, Acer notebooks division head James Lin said the embedded fingerprint sensor is “a robust solution that protects users while providing the convenience of password-free biometric authentication.”

The Switch 5’s integration of a fingerprint sensor suggests growing momentum for the PC and laptop biometrics market, with an increasing number of devices featuring embedded biometric authentication security. Acer, as a prominent brand catering to the middle- and lower-priced segments of the laptop market, could prove influential in helping to make the technology mainstream.