14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 8 in September with a fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen, and Samsung is likely doing the same thing with the upcoming Galaxy S9, though this will only happen in early 2018.
In the meantime, however, the Chinese are very keen on being the first to integrate the fingerprint sensor into the screen, and a company called Vivo is doing just that with a new smartphone expected to debut this summer.
Even though the phone is not ready, Vivo explained in a statement for Mashable how the whole thing is going to work, pointing out that its fingerprint sensor is not limited by the materials used on the case of the phone. In other words, the fingerprint reader can work through glass, plastic, or even aluminum, as Vivo claims, without being visible in any way.
Ultrasonic sensor
The Chinese manufacturer’s sensor is ultrasonic, which means that it emits ultrasonic sound waves that scan your finger and then create a digital 3D copy of your fingerprint to determine whether you should be provided access to the device or not. The whole process takes place almost instantly, and Xiaomi itself has already installed such a sensor on the Mi 5s.
A video that Vivo provided, however, shows that the fingerprint sensor isn’t as fast as you’d expect it to be, though there’s certainly room for improvements there. And what’s more, the firm says that its sensor, which it calls Vivo Under Display, can penetrate 1.3mm of the OLED screen, 525μm of aluminum or 800μm of glass. Qualcomm, which makes the fingerprint sensor on the Xiaomi phone, only works through glass at 400μm.
Neither Apple nor Samsung is expected to use Vivo’s technology, though the Chinese company says it expects the two phone makers to go for systems that are at least similar to its own.
And even if this happens, Vivo is already thinking ahead, and plans some improvements to its fingerprint sensor that will make it possible to work underwater. It already works with wet fingers and performance is not affected by the ambient light, but the company says that it wants the fingerprint sensor to be ready to unlock the phone regardless of the conditions.