Qualcomm has announced a new line of fingerprint sensors that can scan through glass, metal, and mobile displays.
The new Qualcomm Fingerprint Sensors use ultrasonic technology for fingerprint imaging. Qualcomm says they can scan through up to 1200 µm of an OLED display, 800 µm of cover glass, and 650 µm of aluminum. The sensor can also scan fingerprint underwater, and can detect certain cardiac measures from blood flow under the surface layer of a fingerprint.
The sensors represent a significant achievement in the mobile biometrics industry, with numerous companies having been exerting strenuous efforts to pioneer in-display fingerprint sensors. Goodix announced it had developed the world’s first in-display sensor for AMOLED screens at this year’s MWC in Barcelona, though it hasn’t yet announced a timeline for OEM integrations; and Apple has reportedly been struggling to incorporate such technology into this year’s new flagship iPhone.
Qualcomm says that its sensors for glass and metal are available for OEM integration immediately and are expected to hit the market in consumer devices starting next year, while its sensors for in-display sensors will be available to OEMs in Q4 of this year.
Qualcomm announced its new sensors at this week’s Mobile World Congress Shanghai event, where its sensors for glass were demonstrated in modified VIVO XPlay 6 devices.
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