Aside from multiple camera setup, display notches, and all whatnot, the In-screen fingerprint reader has in the last year become a major feature of the mo-range and Premium smartphones, partly because they take up more space than the conventional rear fingerprint sensor. And while a majority of OEMs have depended on optical in-display sensors from China, the narrative could be changing soon, as Qualcomm has today announced a much more sophisticated alternative to what we have seen from China so far.
Welcome the Qualcomm’s 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor for smartphones. Dissimilar to the optical fingerprint sensor found in most 2018 smartphones so far, Qualcomm’s latest approach depends on depends on sound waves generated from under your smartphone’s display to unlock your phone.
Dubbed the “Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor,” the latest technology from Qualcomm read fingerprints from all corners through sound waves, mapping the peaks and valleys on a fingerprint to authenticate the user. Qualcomm claims that its latest innovation is the most secure and most convenient solution to unlocking your smartphone. What is more, the maker also claims the new piece of technology can scan through you fingerprint print even in the presence of contaminants including oily and wet fingers partly because the sound waves on which the tech depends cannot be blocked on the way either does it depend on LED illumination from the display to enforce authentication.
We are not sure how fast Qualcomm’s latest piece could be, but itis our hope that it could be a leap over the current crops of optical scanners from Chinse rivals which have received some conflicting reviews.