Samsung Delays In-Screen Fingerprint Sensor Until Galaxy S10: Report

Samsung delayed the commercialization of its in-display fingerprint reader that was recently considered for the Galaxy Note 9 and is now targeting an early 2019 release, with the plan being to implement such a solution into the Galaxy S10 lineup, Korean outlet ChosunBiz reports, citing sources close to the tech giant. The supposed development is being described as a change of heart on Samsung’s part, with insiders claiming the company first conditioned its Galaxy Note 9 implementation upon its ability to mass-produce such offerings but ended up going back on that idea after fulfilling the initial goal.
 
The reason behind the latest delay is said to stem from Samsung’s insistence to improve the accuracy of its proprietary in-screen fingerprint recognition hardware as it reportedly isn’t pleased with the performance of its prototypes. Chinese original equipment manufacturers Vivo and Huawei already commercialized under-display mobile readers earlier this year, in that order, but Samsung’s scanner is said to use ultrasonic technology that’s more capable in theory but also not as straightforward to calibrate and mass-produce. The initial commercial implementations of in-screen fingerprint readers have proven to be usable but inferior to traditional readers, according to numerous critics and consumers.
 
Samsung is understood to have been trying to commercialize the emerging technology since 2016 when it first started working on the Galaxy S8 but was unable to achieve flow manufacturing until now. In-display fingerprint readers are touted as the new big innovation in the industry that’s currently on a global decline in terms of shipments, with many analysts attributing that trend to consumer fatigue largely caused by the overall lack of novelties between smartphone models. Samsung is presently also developing its first foldable handset that it intends to commercialize at some point next year, though Huawei is likely to beat it to the market with such a gadget in late 2018, according to recent reports. The Galaxy Note 9 is expected to be announced around the time Berlin, Germany-based IFA starts in late August, whereas the Galaxy S10 lineup is likely to debut near the end of the first quarter of 2019. Besides boasting in-display fingerprint readers, the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus are widely predicted to launch as Samsung‘s first 5G-compatible Android handsets.

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