If there was any doubt concerning the big smartphone OEMs support of biometric logical access control, the naysayers can humbly sit back down and be quiet. Samsung has officially announced everything but the official price of its forthcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini, and wouldn’t you know it, just like its older sibling it has a fingerprint sensor and heart rate monitor.
Set for release in July, the Galaxy A5 Mini is exactly what the name suggests: a shrunken down version of the OEM’s current flagship phone. Though the tiny Galaxy had to make some compromises that generally accompany a reduction in size – namely in terms of power – the two biometric features that debuted on the S5 back in April are still there, just as there were then.
In terms of what the inclusion of the fingerprint sensor on the new Mini means for consumer biometrics, it all comes down to price point and proliferation. A second device, meant to offer a smaller price-point for current generation mobile tech, means accessibility.
When it launches later this month, consumers that need a smartphone upgrade but found the Galaxy S5 out of their price range will have the smaller version as an option. Boiling it down, more users will have the ability to access their phones and make online payments with the power of fingerprints.
The inclusion of fingerprint sensors on the new mini Galaxy is encouraging for those excited about the slew of mobile biometric rumors swirling around Samsung and Apple. Come September, many are expecting a whole line of Apple products featuring the now-open-to-developers Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Additionally, Synaptics has recently given reason to expect fingerprint biometric sensors on smartwatches in 2015.
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