“Samsung Display has prepared three or four solutions for Samsung Electronics to embed the fingerprint sensor inside of the main display, and both are seriously considering one of the solutions,” the source explained. Usually, the design of Galaxy phones is finalized around five months before launch, but the choice of scanner is apparently causing some delays. The phone is set to launch in late August. “The delay in deciding on the final concept for the Note 9 is due to the work in adopting the in-display fingerprint sensor. A final decision on adoption of the technology will be made by this month,” said sources familiar with the matter.
Conflicting Information
Of course, all of this should be taken with a grain of salt. The report from a few days ago came from reputable leaker Min-Chu Kuo, and it’s difficult to know who to believe. However, it is clear that Samsung wants in-display scanning very badly. Other than convenience, it would let the company increase the Note’s battery size without resorting to large bezels. Unfortunately, the solution is likely to be expensive, whichever Samsung chooses. IHS Markit director Jusy Hong expects it to cost more than Apple’s Face ID, which is $15.2 per unit. Even so, such a move would differentiate the Galaxy Note 9 from its competitors. So far, Vivo is the only company to produce such a feature, but it’s somewhat slow. The tech in question comes from Synaptics, who Samsung collaborated with for the S8 before axing the feature. With some refinement or its own methods, the company could produce a superior experience.
