As rumours begin to swirl regarding Samsung’s next flagship, one tidbit does more to disappoint than excite.
The report, courtesy of South Korean publication The Investor, states Samsung has decided not to incorporate a fingerprint sensor embedded under the display, which would fix one of the main issues many had with its previous flagship — the awkwardly placed rear fingerprint sensor.
In fact, both the Galaxy S8 and Note 8 shared the feature — a sensor placed very near the rear camera — which led to smudging and was difficult for some to reach.
Instead of an under-display sensor, which The Investor says the company has been attempting to include in several previous devices, the report says the sensor will once again be placed on the rear.
The fingerprint sensor Samsung considered including was likely similar to Qualcomm’s new under-display scanner, which is based on ultrasonic, rather than capacitive, technology.
The tech was introduced over a year ago by Qualcomm and can capture low-resolution images of a user’s fingerprint even through opaque materials — like how ultrasounds work to capture images of fetuses. In June, Qualcomm predicted commercial devices with the under-display sensors would arrive in devices in the summer of 2018.
That timeline lines up more closely with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, and the report suggests that Samsung may try to feature that tech in that device — which is one silver lining.
Source: The Investor
