Qualcomm: new in-screen fingerprint scanner is faster and bigger

Qualcomm has announced the second generation of its 3D Sonic Sensor. The ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint scanner is 50 percent faster with a 77 percent larger surface area, according to the manufacturer.

The second generation of the 3D Sonic Sensor will be available with an 8x8mm surface that users can place their finger on to scan. That’s a 77 percent larger surface area than the first-generation sensor, which Qualcomm announced in 2017, which had a surface area of ​​4x9mm.

The larger sensor surface allows the scanner to capture 1.7 times more biometric data. That would make the scanner 50 percent faster, the claim is. According to Qualcomm, 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 will appear in smartphones in early 2021. The first device could be the Galaxy S21, which Samsung is expected to announce on January 14. The 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 1 appeared in the Samsung Galaxy S10, Note10, S20 and Note20 from Samsung.

Incidentally, Qualcomm already announced the 3D Sonic Max at the end of 2019, with an even larger surface of 20x30mm. As far as we know, this sensor has not yet appeared in smartphones, but that should still happen later this year, the maker promises.