LG designs under-glass smartphone sensor

Apple’s use of fingerprint scanners in iPhones has been copied widely. It gave rise to a booming market of fingerprint scanners, which are typically embedded into home buttons on phones or an indent on the back of the handset. LG Innotek has now designed a way for fingerprint scanners to be seamless with the bezel of a phone by placing it under glass.

Having a fingerprint reader hidden under glass comes with its own issues. With the loss of a physical indication for where the fingerprint sensor is, users will need some other visual cue. LG recommended using patterns to indicate where users should place their fingers to unlock their phones. This might add some complexity, but it does shield the fingerprint sensor from water and scratches.

Fingerprint scanners are already standard in high-end smartphones these days, and they are only getting more important. Makers of 4G phones have been especially sensitive to the trend. While companies have generally done a good job keeping sensors tastefully built into the device in a way that is not obtrusive, LG’s under-glass sensor could allow for even sleeker designs. For Apple, the home button has been part of the iPhone design from the beginning. The addition of a fingerprint scanner was seamless. Other makers have opted to put the scanner on the back of the phone, which some find to be a convenient location, but the solution is not as elegant. Fingerprint scanners that blend seamlessly with the phone would certainly differentiate a smartphone while giving it a smoother appearance.