Smartphones with in-display fingerprint sensors could be a thing soon

A rise of handsets with fingerprint scanners under the display could be on the horizon.

Fingerprint scanners have been a thing in smartphones for quite some time as an alternative for PIN codes and patterns. Though not completely foolproof, biometrics is seen as a more reliable way to prevent intruders from accessing personal information inside handsets. These sensors are typically placed at the home button or situated on the rear side below the camera.

Current developments within the area, however, suggest that fingerprint scanners could soon get an upgrade. China-based brand Vivo showed off a working prototype of a smartphone with a sensor under the display at CES 2018. This enables users to unlock handsets and verify their identity just by pressing their finger on the screen without the need for a password.

Originally, back in June 2017, Vivo announced the technology at MWC Shanghai using Qualcomm's own fingerprint scanner. Nevertheless, the technology was abandoned for being too slow. The company later collaborated with semiconductor manufacturer Synaptics, which unveiled its own sensor in December.

Evan Blass, who has a good track record in reporting details about devices yet to be announced recently leaked the 6.2in Doogee V, a smartphone that comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor and an iPhone X-like notch. It is still not known, however, what type of components the device is using or when it will see the light of day.

Since 2014, the penetration of devices with fingerprint scanners in the market have constantly risen, very likely due to its reliability. Online business intelligence platform Statista predicts that by 2018, 67 percent of smartphones will have this kind of sensor. With in-display sensors now a possibility, importers and consumers can expect the technology to be slowly adopted in the near future, making phone displays without bezels and buttons a possibility.