Earlier this month, U.S. hardware company Qualcomm gave a very detailed demonstration of a working fingerprint sensor integrated into a screen of a Vivo smartphone. While the news earned its share of excitement among the tech enthusiasts, one analyst breaks its popularity with an announcement saying that the in-screen fingerprint sensor is not ready for customers yet.
The new report said that Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the prototype from Qualcomm is still far from its shipment. Per a report, the technology is rumored to be installed on the upcoming Apple iPhone 8. However, Kuo points out that mass production for n-screen fingerprint sensors can be very time consuming and difficult due to some reasons.
As observed from the demo last week, the new technology of the fingerprint sensor feature can work through different surfaces such as the display, glass or metal. Screen sizes of mobile phones have grown an increasing impact and emphasis for modern-generation smartphone manufacturers, numerous companies have looked at eliminating physical fingerprint sensors in order to maximize possible screen space on the smartphone.
As reported by Android Headlines, Kuo revealed that there are at least three technological problems that Qualcomm needs to solve before a shipment date can be confirmed. One of the problems is the need to enhance the scan-through capacity of the in-screen fingerprint feature. Aside from that, Qualcomm also discovered that the current tech has a slow response problem that needs to be developed so that once the finger is already on the screen, it can be read faster.
Kuo mentioned that are also other challenges that smartphone manufacturers, such as Apple and Samsung, will face once the mass production of Qualcomm’s in-screen fingerprint scanner begins. These hindrances could also limit Qualcomm from confirming the tech’s launch date of the feature. “Consumers don’t seem to have much of a problem with fingerprint scanners on the back of handsets,” says Kuo. “Thus, handset brands may be less compelled to adopt the ultrasonic solution as long as risks persist.”
