Earlier this March, reports claimed Samsung's forthcoming flagship, the Galaxy Note 9, won't come with an in-display fingerprint sensor. However, recent rumors suggest the South Korean electronics company is indeed planning to include it after all.
Ever since Vivo and Synaptics proved it was possible, an in-display fingerprint sensor has been one of the hottest new innovations in smartphone technology. It lets users lay their finger on the screen to unlock the phone, like a scene from a sci-fi film. It doesn't require any separate fingerprint module; the technology is baked right under the screen.
Galaxy Note 9 In-Display Fingerprint Sensor Rumors
Samsung's most recent phones, the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, don't come with this kind of technology. Their fingerprint sensors are still rear-mounted, just like on the previous Galaxy S8 models. As a result, there's chatter over whether Samsung will finally introduce the feature in time for the Galaxy Note 9, which Samsung typically releases later in the year.
Samsung was reportedly working on the technology for the Galaxy Note 9, but that it was simply too complicated to properly implement. However, as mentioned, Vivo and Synaptics disrupted the smartphone world by introducing a phone that has it working. The production version of that device is poised to launch later this year.
Samsung and its Samsung Display division haven't given up, according to a report by The Korea Herald. Sources claim the company is still on track to include a fingerprint system on the Galaxy Note 9, which is expected to launch in April.
The report further alleges that Samsung has several ideas on how to implement the technology into the phone and is seriously considering one of those solutions. Samsung is also experiencing delays due to these considerations.
"The delay in deciding on the final concept for the Note 9 is due to the work in adopting the in-display fingerprint sensor," said the Korea Herald's source.
In-Display Fingerprint Sensor
Perhaps Samsung is trying to be extra cautious about the technology. Consumers and critics have yet to actually test the accuracy and safety of an in-display fingerprint sensor. Unlike a standard fingerprint module, it's not certain whether an in-display version can accommodate tasks that have far riskier security implications, such as making an online purchase. These are all factors Samsung has to consider in making the technology possible, and there's simply not enough evidence that in-display fingerprint sensors are as secure as conventional ones.
