Manufacturer will soon announce smartphone with fingerprint scanner under the screen

Synaptics has announced that the first fingerprint scanner that works under a display is in mass production. Soon ‘one of the largest smartphone manufacturers’ will present a device with the new scanner.

Synaptics does not say which manufacturer will present the smartphone with scanner under the screen, but does want to say that it is a manufacturer from the worldwide top five. It consists of Samsung, Apple, Huawei, Oppo and vivo. Since Apple recently released its iPhones, it will be one of the other four. Synaptics talks about ‘infinity displays’. That is a Samsung term, but Huawei, Oppo and vivo also use Samsung screens.

The supplier calls the scanner Clear ID and the type number is FS9500. The scanner is not a capacitive scanner like in many smartphones, but most likely works with the reflection of light coming from the screen to scan the fingerprint, between the pixels. If users want to unlock the device or use the scanner at other times, an icon will appear at the point where the scanner sits. It also works in high-light conditions, Synaptics says.

The scanner is located under the screen and is therefore protected against scratches and other damage, according to Synaptics. It is the first time that a supplier has mass-produced an under-screen scanner. Manufacturers have been waiting for such a scanner, because the fingerprint scanner came into trouble last year due to the move to screens with fewer bezels. The iPhone X, for example, has the slower-working Face ID.

Update, 21:13: This article originally stated that the scanner might work with ultrasound, but that turned out to be incorrect.