Now we’ve all been impressed when the in-display fingerprint sensor was introduced, but to be honest, I initially expected the in-display fingerprint sensor to function in a way that users can actually unlock their phones no matter where they place their fingerprints, not just a specific area like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro or the OPPO R17 Pro. Now Xiaomi seems to be realising my previous expectations as they showcase a new technology.
Xiaomi’s President, Lin Bin posted a video on Weibo and this video demonstrates a newer technology on the in-display fingerprint scanner. The individual in the video shows how he set his fingerprint in the phone and proceeds to unlock the phone by placing his finger at various different areas of the phone.
Lin Bin stated that the unlocking are is 50mmx25mm, which is a much bigger area compared to what we find on current smartphones. Though the coverage still does not include the whole display, it is a significant improvement compared to the current smartphones’ in-display fingerprint technology.
On the other hand, vivo also came out with a concept device that is named APEX. This concept device is also capable of more than just a specific area for the in-display fingerprint scanner, in which vivo expanded the are to almost half of the phone’s display. However, this is a news back in the beginning of 2018 and there are still no vivo smartphones that are capable of doing so, leading us to believe that vivo might be taking their time in creating a phone with such capabilities.
As for Xiaomi, Lin Bin did say that the company might consider replacing the scanner in future device if fans are happy to welcome the new innovation.