Vivo now unveils its Under Display fingerprint sensor
Before the Samsung Galaxy S8 was unveiled, tech enthusiasts and the press were hoping for the under-the-screen fingerprint scanner to make a debut on Samsung’s 2017 flagship, considering the leaks hinting at a bezelless design. Although the bezel-less design became a reality, the physical fingerprint sensor made its way to the rear panel, which was a disappointment for the fans. After that, Apple was expected to showcase the feature before anyone for their next iPhone. However, the technology has finally been announced for use in smartphones, not by Apple or Samsung but by Vivo.
Vivo has unveiled its Under Display fingerprint sensor, thus becoming the first company to announce the feature. Vivo’s display embedded fingerprint technology works on the concept of an ultrasonic
The scanner works by emitting ultrasonic sound waves and acquires a 3D impression of the user’s finger
fingerprint scanner, which was already announced earlier by Qualcomm earlier and found a place in Xiaomi’s Mi 5S. The scanner works by emitting ultrasonic sound waves that acquire a 3D impression of the user’s finger and uses it to authenticate device unlocks or any other function. However, Vivo’s version can penetrate 1.3mm of OLED panel, 525nm of aluminium and 800nm of glass as opposed to the existing version’s 400nm of glass. This makes it easier for Vivo to put the sensor deep under the display or metal, without carving out space on either the front and rear panels for the fingerprint sensor. This could help Vivo or other manufacturers realise absolute bezel-less designs for their smartphones. To add the feather to the hat, Vivo claims that their new ultrasonic sensor isn’t affected by ambient light and fares well with wet fingers or sweat marks. The manufacturer also claims that they are improving it further to make it work underwater as well. Vivo still says that this is a prototype and would take some time to see the light of the day. This makes it clear that we could be looking at a production model smartphone from Vivo with this technology towards the end of this year or early next year. If Apple launches its next iPhone with embedded fingerprint scanner, then it would compete with Vivo, which is great for the Chinese manufacturer often believed to be taking inspiration from big players in the industry for its products.