Phone featuring Synaptics in-display fingerprint scanner to be demoed at CES

In 2017, the fingerprint reader is still the most common and preferred method when it comes to securing a smartphone. Up until this point, the sensor has always been exposed on the exterior of the device in plain sight. While companies have been talking about relocating it under the display for a couple years now, no one has released a device into retail distribution with this technology. Earlier in the year, Vivo showed off a prototype featuring its under-display fingerprint scanner. Now, Synaptics has revealed its own fingerprint sensor that can reside under a display.

The firm announced that the new fingerprint sensor, the Clear ID FS9500, has gone into mass production and is specifically designed for smartphones. According to Synaptics, the sensor will even function properly with wet, dry, or even cold fingers. Like its other products, the sensor is secure, guarded by technologies like SentryPoint, Quantum Matcher, PurePrint, and SecureLink.

Kevin Barber, senior vice president and general manager of Synaptics' Mobile Division stated:

“Consumers prefer fingerprint authentication on the front of the phone, and with the industry quickly shifting to bezel-free OLED infinity displays, the natural placement of the fingerprint sensor is in the display itself.”
“Synaptics’ Clear ID fingerprint sensors are faster, more convenient, and more secure than alternative biometrics, and this optical technology represents a major innovation shift and opportunity for the smartphone market.”

The firm closed by stating that a handset with the technology will be revealed at CES 2018, which is less than a month away.