Reputed Leaker Says Galaxy Note 9 Will Feature In-Display Sensor

Hints that Samsung’s next Note smartphone will feature an in-display fingerprint sensor continue to accumulate.

The biggest new one comes by way of a reputable leaker dubbed “Ice Universe.” This individual has ostensibly revealed several new features of the Galaxy Note 9, including an upgraded user interface, S-Pen, battery, camera, and Bixby AI assistant. But perhaps the most important of the putative revelations is a fingerprint sensor under the device’s display, allowing for a screen that covers almost all of the Note 9’s front face.

This feature has been rumored for some time. It was also expected to be included in previous Samsung devices like the Galaxy S9 and even last year’s Galaxy Note 8. So why should this speculation be taken seriously? Because Ice Universe has a strong track record: As Forbes reports, the leaker “broke the Galaxy Note 8 design, attained the first real-world photos of the Galaxy S8 and nailed every single detail of the Galaxy S9.” Taken together with other hints such as a Samsung patent filing detailing a fingerprint scanning system that would operate through the bottom half of a mobile screen, the leak appears to carry some weight.

That having been said, Forbes contributor Gordon Kelly says he’s “hearing there is still a race against time to get this technology ready for mass-market manufacturing”, echoing the rumors about Apple’s strained effort to get viable in-display tech within its production timeline for last year’s iPhone devices. Things didn’t work out for Apple’s project – if indeed it ever existed – and there’s still a chance they won’t for Samsung. But with lower-tier rivals now having delivered functional in-display tech in their own devices, there is considerable pressure on Samsung to get this right.

Sources: Forbes, TechRadar