Samsung’s next Galaxy device will feature an in-display fingerprint sensor, according to new leaks.
The rumors, which appear to originate from anonymous industry sources in South Korea, suggest that even though the Samsung Galaxy S9 is not expected to be released until early next year, Samsung has already more or less finalized its screen design, which will echo the bezel-less sizes of the Samsung Galaxy S8; apparently Samsung decided to focus resources on the development of the S9 way ahead of schedule in response to last autumn’s Note 7 recall fiasco, even as the S8 was still making its way to market.
More importantly, the S9 is expected to feature an in-display fingerprint sensor – a feature that Samsung had previously tried to bring to the impending Note 8 device and even this year’s S8 smartphones, but abandoned due to technical difficulties. Apple, of course, is also thought to have been struggling to bring its Touch ID fingerprint scanning system into the display of this year’s iPhone 8, and at this point it’s still anybody’s guess as to whether the feature will make it.
The S9 rumors prompt further questions, of course. In-display fingerprint sensor technology has only just begun to emerge, with Qualcomm having recently announced that its solution won’t be available to OEMs until Q4 of this year. Samsung’s longtime fingerprint sensor supplier is Synaptics, not Qualcomm; and given that Samsung recently sided against Qualcomm in an FTC antitrust lawsuit, the companies aren’t likely to team up.
Such technicalities aside, the prospect of an in-display fingerprint sensor for next year’s Galaxy phone does seem increasingly likely, especially as rivals like Apple and even Sharp attempt to pioneer the technology themselves.
Sources: The Investor, Know Your Mobile, The Bell, ValueWalk, HotHardware, The Verge
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