Fingerprint sensor developer NEXT Biometrics is enjoying the “Apple effect”, announcing via press release that it has received half a dozen orders this January from “a range of new high potential fingerprint sensor markets.” The orders are both for fingerprint sensor samples and SDKs.
The “Apple effect” refers, of course, to the popularization of mobile fingerprint sensor technology led by Apple with its TouchID system embedded in its iPhones and iPads. Speaking in the press release, NEXT Biometrics CEO Tore Etholm-Idsøe credited his company’s recent success at least partially to this phenomenon, saying that consumers’ “general acceptance of fingerprinting is increasing fast.” He also pointed to a need for low cost technology, saying his latest clients “have made it clear that they need the quality of a large area fingerprint sensor at a very low price.”
That’s another important piece of the equation: It isn’t just that fingerprint sensors have become popular; they have also decreased in cost, allowing even lower-end smartphones to integrate them. This, in turn, has unleashed a flood of biometrics-equipped mobile devices into the market, threatening industry giants such as Samsung as they have increasingly cut into market share. In any case, it’s good news for a company like NEXT Biometrics, which can only benefit as smartphone developers’ demand for such technology increases.
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