Samsung patent explains Galaxy S10's in-display fingerprint sensor technology
Samsung recently confirmed that its upcoming Galaxy S10 flagship will come with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. Now, a Samsung patent has given us insight as to how this sensor will work. And it looks to be far more sophisticated than optical in-display fingerprint sensors currently available on some phones. Here are all the details.
The patent, published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, details how the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor will work. As per the patent, Samsung will use an ultrasonic transmission/reception module that will activate a particular area in the display to scan the fingerprint. The patent also suggests the use of multiple in-display sensors to detect the user's grip and activate the scanning area accordingly.
Samsung may use as many as four in-display sensors along with a dedicated fingerprint processor. The processor will be able to record different scan frequencies and even detect grip to activate a certain area for reading fingerprints. In comparison, we currently have in-display sensors that are limited to a particular spot of the display whereas Samsung plans to use a much wider scanning area.
Recently, Samsung Mobile Head DJ Koh said that the company has opted for an ultrasonic sensor over an optical fingerprint technology, adding that the former offers a better user experience. While we don't know how fast this scanner will be, it certainly won't be limited to a particular spot on the display. Moreover, the presence of a dedicated fingerprint processor should speed up scan time.
Previous reports suggest Samsung Galaxy S10 will be offered in three different sizes - 6.4-inch, 6.1-inch, and 5.8-inch. Notably, both the larger S10 models will come with top-end specs, will sport an in-display fingerprint sensor and pack quad cameras. The 5.8-inch model is said to be a cheaper trimmed down variant of the S10 and will have a side-mounted fingerprint reader.
