Synaptics announces in-display fingerprint sensor, a “top 5” smartphone OEM will be the first to use it

Fueling the bezel-less trend further, leading biometrics tech firm Synaptics has reportedly managed to put a fingerprint sensor on the display. The technology will allegedly feature on a phone by a “Top 5” company next year. Called “Clear ID FS9500”, the technology could feature in phones with bezel-less displays.

The on-screen fingerprint sensor works similar to how physical fingerprint sensors work. You touch with a registered finger to unlock, only you touch on the display glass to authenticate. The fingerprint sensor also works in a variety of situations including wet, dry and cold fingers.

Synaptics says the technology is also secure with AES encryption and includes a range of authentication features OEMs can choose from. An important feature is the ability to turn the fingerprint sensor off an on at will, so that the sensor doesn’t occupy permanent space on the display. It can simply go away when not needed.

While Qualcomm was the first to announce the technology way back at MWC Shanghai, Synaptics claim their technology is already under mass production in partnership with a “top five” smartphone company. Synaptics also mentions “bezel-free infinity displays”, which is similar to what Samsung called its edge-to-edge OLED displays on the Galaxy S8 (review) and the Galaxy Note 8 (review). If we had to hazard a guess as to which smartphone will sport Synaptics’ tech, it could be the Samsung Galaxy S9, slated to launch early next year.

Samsung is in dire need of a solution after its rear-mounted fingerprint sensors were at the receiving end of all sorts of criticism.

But apart from Samsung, the fingerprint sensor could very well end up on other flagship phones as well, since most OEMs will make attempts to do bezel-less displays.

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