The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ are one of the best smartphones released this year. However, people who used one of these devices will quickly point out the awkward placement of the fingerprint reader. It was reported that Samsung poured a lot of money in developing an in-screen fingerprint reader for these devices, but failed to achieve favorable results in time for the mass production of the Galaxy S8 and S8+.
Consumers and experts were hoping that Samsung could introduce an in-screen fingerprint reader this year with the Galaxy Note 8, thereby bringing it closer to perfection. However, a new report from Naver leads us to believe that Samsung will miss out on integrating an in-screen fingerprint reader in its upcoming flagship phablet. The report states that even Apple had a lot of problems in using a similar technology for the iPhone 8, which is expected to go on sale later this year.
A Samsung Electronics official said, “We made every effort to install a display-integrated fingerprint sensor on Galaxy Note 8, but we decided not to install it on this strategic phone due to various technical limitations such as security.” Samsung Electronics will continue research and development with companies such as CrucialTec, which has the technology. CrucialTec is a South Korean firm that manufactures optical trackpads and fingerprint scanners.
The current-generation, oval-shaped fingerprint reader that Samsung uses in the Galaxy S8 and S8+ isn't as accurate as circular-shaped fingerprint readers that are being used in smartphones such as the Google Pixel, LG G6, iPhone 7, or even entry-level smartphones like the Xiaomi Redmi 4. It's slower in comparison as well, so we hope that Samsung at least uses faster fingerprint reader in the Galaxy Note 8, and places it below the rear-facing camera.
Samsung will reportedly unveil the Galaxy Note 8 on September 8. The upcoming phablet is expected to come equipped with a 6.3-inch Infinity Display. However, it will be the first high-end smartphone from Samsung to feature a dual rear-facing camera. The device will also offer an iris scanner, the AI-powered digital voice assistant Bixby, and an autofocus front-facing camera.
