Put the fingerprint scanner on the screen, suggests Synaptics

An increasing number of smartphones are becoming all-screen by nature. All of these handsets end up facing one design problem, i.e. where exactly to put the fingerprint scanner? With the physical home button gone and slimmer handsets emerging online, this might come across as an unsolvable issue.

Apple and Samsung took the easy way out by completely eliminating the fingerprint scanning option and opting for facial recognition instead. However, Synaptics doesn’t seem to want to adjust. At the recently-concluded Consumer Electronics Show, the technology giant showed off its under-the-display fingerprint scanning option.

As noted by The Washington Post, most Android smartphones including the Galaxy S8 and Pixel 2 usually have their fingerprint sensors moved to the rear panels. To be honest, it can get pretty awkward to swipe your finger right at the back of the handset. When it comes to Apple, the Cupertino technology giant decided to drop the fingerprint reading home button altogether.

Instead, the firm opted for a facial recognition software. On the contrary, Synaptics has come up with a new type of Clear ID technology, which they demonstrated at the CES event. The feature integrates the reader right under the screen and is expected to debut in Vivo smartphones this year.

The fingerprint scanning option apparently has about two percent of reject rate along with a false acceptance rate of about 1 in 50,000. “Synaptics CEO Rick Bergman said it took 18 months to turn the tech from a demo into a real product that could handle issues such as dry fingers and sunlight,” reports the Washington Post. The under-the-display fingerprint scanning option apparently only works on OLED screens because they are both, thin and transparent enough for its use. Even Qualcomm is working towards developing such a feature for its users.