If recent rumors are to be believed, Apple’s iPhone 8 will debut an astonishing new feature that’ll place a fingerprint sensor underneath the disp… oh wait, some unknown Android phone maker has beaten Cupertino to the punch.
At MWC Shanghai, Chinese manufacturer Vivo has just introduced its Under Display Fingerprint Scanning Solution using ultrasonic technology to recognise the digits of smartphone users.
Granted, it doesn’t seem to be ready to ship in a device just yet, but the firm was able to demonstrate the tech within a modified version of its Xplay6 smartphone (via Engadget).
Related: iOS 11
The prototype features a scanner, built by Qualcomm, sitting beneath a 1.2mm thick OLED display. This scanner works by sending a pulse to the finger on the display. Those vibrations are then able to form the make up of a fingerprint.
Interestingly, the “Qualcomm Fingerprint Sensors for Display” scanner works with the combination of wet hands and wet phone, according to the maker, which could finally lift us beyond the nightmare of trying to unlock our phones while exercising.
This tech will begin shipping to manufacturers later this year and can also be used on handsets without Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors doing the heavy lifting.
Reports in recent months have suggested the scanner beneath the display is a lock for the iPhone 8, but some sources have also claimed Apple is struggling to perfect the tech in time to manufacture the device for its usual release window.
Given Apple’s ongoing feud with Qualcomm, it’s unlikely the iPhone-maker will be incorporating the chip-maker’s solution either.
Will you be disappointed it Apple doesn’t introduce an under-display TouchID sensor with the iPhone 8? Share your views in the comments below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.