Skip to content

The Dream of In-Display Fingerprint Scanners Is Dead

    Since Apple eliminated the Home button from the iPhone and introduced Face ID on the iPhone X and iPhone X, rumors suggest that Face ID will return somehow to the iPhone. However, it appears that it’s not likely to occur.

    The fingerprint-scanning biometric technology that first came out on the iPhone in 2013 but was substituted in 2017 by Face ID facial recognition in the top models in 2017 is still present in iPhone SE. iPhone SE. However, it has always appeared to be a throwback result of the fact that the SE retains a Home button instead of the more contemporary full-screen design found on The flagship models of the Apple brand.

    But, as per the well-known leaker and analyst Mark Gurman, in the most recent edition of his Power On newsletter, Apple has been testing different ways of using Touch ID that would suit phones that do not have a Home button. Apple has considered options of placing the scanner inside the power button of the phone, a method Apple has previously used on iPad Air. iPad Air, as well as the more expensive and complex process of embedding the scanner under the screen, is what is the case with many Android phones.

    A brief introduction to the history of fingerprint scanners

    Fingerprint scanners first came to phones in the late 2010s. Apple released its iPhone 5S with a fingerprint scanner in 2013, and Samsung was next in 2014 with its Galaxy Note 4 a year later.

    The fingerprint readers of the past used capacitive technology. Tiny electrodes cover sensors. The capacitance between them is the way that fingerprints are processed. It changes based on the distance of the ridges on the finger.

    At the end of the decade, most smartphones had fingerprint scanners. But this isn’t the only change that is to come. Apple switched to facial recognition through Face ID in the year 2017. At the same time, Android manufacturer Vivo was launching the first in-display fingerprint scanners.

    Fingerprint scanners that have in-display fingerprint scanning: The future

    It was also referred to as an under-display or in-display fingerprint reader. It is the very first phone with one. Vivo X20 Plus, introduced at the beginning year of 2018, the device had an optical sensor that emits light onto your finger, then captures the picture using a tiny camera.

    The idea was intriguing to me. In the early days, fingerprint scanners were typical on phones to be put on the top of the bezel. The built-in fingerprint scanner means it can be placed on the front, but it wouldn’t be too big a space.

    It was futuristic, and it felt amazing. What is astonishing about simply placing your finger on the phone’s screen and instantly scanning your finger to unlock it? Looking for the correct spot on display or the back is not necessary. Just touch the display.

    But it’s not the way the first in-display scanners functioned at all. There are other options. Did you have to position your finger inside a particular region typically indicated with an icon? They were also faster than “old” type fingerprint scanners.

    Future We Got Instead

    Let’s go back to the present day, 2022. The most expensive Android phones are being released equipped with in-display fingerprint scanners. Samsung has used this technology since the year 2018. Google hasn’t adopted in-display scanners until Pixel 6 in 2021.

    Technology has advanced over the past five years. Ultrasonic in-display scanners have gradually replaced optical in-display scanners that do not have the highest security. They utilize ultrasonic waves to create a fingerprint map.

    The problem is that these enhancements haven’t been as significant. The introduction of an in-display scanner in 2022 isn’t as big of an improvement over 2018 as I anticipated. I’d suggest they’re nowhere near as efficient as “old” type fingerprint scanners.

    Take a stand for the face.

    After using Face ID, I believe Apple is right that facial recognition is the way to go. Under-display scanners have a lot of potentials, but their use in practice fell far from expectations.

    The first smartphone to feature an in-display scanner was released five years ago. Why do outdated scanners on low-end Android phones continue to outdo the scanners on other phones? Android manufacturers should focus on being competitive with Face ID If they don’t wish to use old scanners.

    Face ID, to my mind, is as quick and precise as a traditional fingerprint scanner. It’s not perfect, but it’s accurate even when you wear a mask, for example, but it’s fantastic. But Face ID’s primary benefit is that it’s truly safe.

    Face ID can be described as a feature for security that can be utilized on iPhones to complete tasks such as App Purchases from the Store. Face recognition functions are unavailable on Android phones and aren’t as effective as the iPhone’s face recognition capabilities. If you use this method on the lock screen, you’ll need a second security option for transactions such as purchases.

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *