The in-display fingerprint scanner has been one of the new technology that several smartphones have managed to adopt this year, and it’s presumable that many more will be using the same technology next year.
With the in-display fingerprint sensor, phones can now be unlocked by tapping the device screen, and of course this would seem fancier than the regular Touch ID or fingerprint sensor on the back or the side of the phone. Few phones like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and the OPPO R17 Pro have already started using this feature, and the Mate 20 Pro is said to have great unlock speed and accuracy.
That being said, it seems that we’ve all been welcoming the new, advanced feature that we’ve all forgotten a very important issue; cracked screens. What happens if our phones accidentally fall and crack? According to Express.co.uk, Huawei confirmed that the screen cracks can affect the capability of the sensor to scan users’ fingerprints. A YouTuber names Jerry Rigs Everything also posted the video above that proved that the Mate 20’s fingerprint scanner stopped working once the device was bent and fractured. Once the screen was cracked, even though he was able to set up his fingerprint, it could not be used to unlock the phone.
Though the current technology of in-display fingerprint sensor is rather incompetent if the screen is cracked, the upcoming technology which is the ultrasonic sensor might not be so easily defeated by cracked screens. Qualcomm’s new ultrasonic scanner is said to be more accurate and can even work on wet and contaminated finger, hence there’s a higher chance that the fingerprint scanner might still work even if the phone’s screen is cracked lightly.
Of course, if the phone’s badly damaged, it’s possible that even the ultrasonic sensor won’t be able to work. Though the technology advancement is great, it seems like we might have overlooked the external factor that is humans’ carelessness. Of course, if technology can offer us unbreakable phone displays or maybe just stronger displays than current ones, the in-display fingerprint sensor will be close to perfection. Otherwise, one cracked screen and the phone will have to be unlocked the traditional passcode way or face unlock if the device supports that.
