The Samsung Galaxy S8 might sport a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner because Samsung ran out of time for in-display fingerprint authentication, according to a new report.
Rumors about the Galaxy S8 have been flying high for a good while now and they're only intensifying as the release edges closer. The Galaxy S8 is expected to be the most powerful flagship the company ever launched, packing innovative features and top-notch specs to wash away the Galaxy Note 7 disaster.
The Samsung Galaxy S8 is also expected to sport a sleek redesign, ditching the physical home button in favor of on-screen buttons. The smartphone will reportedly have minimal bezels and an Always-On display.
With no physical button in the mix, rumors indicated that Samsung would go for a fingerprint scanner embedded into the display. However, it seems that it's no longer the case as the Galaxy S8 will have a rather oddly placed fingerprint scanner on its back.
Smartphone skin maker dbrand has recently started taking preorders for Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus skins and the product images show that the fingerprint scanner will be located right next to the rear camera.
Why The Galaxy S8 Won't Have In-Display Fingerprint Authentication
A new report now aims to shed some light on why Samsung ultimately decided to go for a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner rather than embed it into the display. According to Korean publication The Investor, Samsung just didn't have enough time to implement Synaptics's in-display fingerprint authentication technology.
With the big unveiling just around the corner, Samsung apparently ditched plans for an in-display fingerprint scanner and opted for a rear-mounted one instead because it would take less time.
"Industry sources say the Korean tech giant and its touch sensor partner Synaptics were running out of time, among other things, to develop the still nascent technology," The Investor reports.
"Samsung poured resources into Synaptics' fledgling technology last year but the results were frustrating," added a source.
The report further details that Samsung put a great deal of effort last year to embed a fingerprint scanner into the display, but Synaptics did not manage to develop the technology in due time.
The Galaxy S8 is expected to be nearly all-screen and embedding the fingerprint scanner into the display itself would've been a boon, but with no time left a rear-mounted one will have to make do.
Is This A Good Idea?
However, placing it right next to the rear camera might pose some issues. As The Investor points out, some users are concerned that they might accidentally smudge the camera lens, while others find it inconvenient as they would have to pick up the device to unlock it. Some even go as far as to call it a "technological regression" since other smartphone makers smaller than Samsung have already released phones with large displays and rear-mounted fingerprint sensors.
At the same time, some industry observers believe that Apple could adopt on-screen fingerprint scanning technology for its iPhone 8. Should this turn out to be accurate, it could be a game changer for Apple's next flagship, which is also rumored to boast a 3D FaceTime front camera.
Samsung will officially unveil its new Galaxy S8 on March 29 and the handset is expected to go on sale in mid-April.
