Explosive growth is in store for in-display fingerprint sensors, according to a new forecast from market research firm IHS Markit. In its new publication, “Display Fingerprint Technology & Market Report — 2018”, the firm predicts that the in-display fingerprint sensor market will grow from a volume of 9 million units this year to 100 million in 2019. And this market “will keep growing remarkably for the next three years,” the firm said in a report synopsis.

Noting the launch of pioneering devices like the Vivo X20, its X21 sequel, and the Huawei Mate RS, IHS Markit predicts that more such devices will hit the market in the second half of this year. The firm says that these companies, together with Xiaomi and Samsung, will lead the in-display market.

The latter OEM’s presence on the list is something of a surprise, given Samsung’s emphasis on contactless user authentication via iris recognition. But with Apple now offering an even more sophisticated contactless solution in the form of Face ID on the iPhone X, in-display fingerprint scanning technology may offer Samsung an opportunity to get a competitive edge with forthcoming smartphones.

On that note, IHS Markit research director Calvin Hsieh says that Samsung “hasn’t decided whether or not to adopt the solution in its Galaxy Note 9,” with IHS Markit’s report summary adding that if Samsung moves ahead with the technology on its forthcoming flagship smartphone, “shipments of smartphones with the solution will hike to more than 20 million units in 2018”.

The prediction reflects enthusiasm on the part of biometrics specialists as well, with market leaders like Fingerprint Cards and Qualcomm looking to in-display fingerprint sensor technology for a competitive advantage as well.