In late 2000, Toshiba introduced laptops with fingerprint readers, which allowed us to securely unlock their device with the touch of a finger, instead of having to memorize complex passwords.
At the same time, the first phones with a fingerprint reader on board appeared. We think the first was a Sagem MC 959 ID, although Siemens apparently had a working prototype as early as 1998.
Possibly the first phone with a fingerprint reader, the Sagem MC 959 ID (image credit)
This was quickly adopted by some PDAs as it was seen as a feature for corporate devices – otherwise why would you need more security? From then on, fingerprint readers on mobile devices remained around, but they were still a rarity. This persisted until Apple pushed them into the mainstream.
Touch ID arrived with the iPhone 5s
The iPhone 5s was introduced in 2013 with a new feature called “Touch ID”. It was a fingerprint reader hidden in the Home button that still resided on the bezel below the display. At first, the reader was used as a quicker alternative to unlocking the passcode. A new use case appeared a year later with the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, which introduced Apple Pay.
Apple iPhone 5s • Apple iPhone 6
Apple will introduce a faster second-generation Touch ID with the iPhone 6s series. Touch ID is still in use, with two new devices in 2022 – the iPhone SE (third generation) and the latest iPad Air – but it’s no longer Apple’s preferred authentication method.
Apple iPhone 6s • Apple iPhone SE (2022) • Apple iPad Air (2022)
Apple may have popularized the fingerprint reader, but in 2017 it would begin to move away from the idea with the iPhone X, which ditched the reader in favor of Face ID, using a structured light sensor to get a 3D map of the your face. Android makers have toyed with similar ideas, but the fingerprint reader continues to reign supreme on that side of the OS gap.
The Android side of the story got off to a clumsy start. Some early phones like the Motorola Atrix (2011) and Galaxy S5 (2014) had basic readers that required you to swipe them. Apple’s capacitive solution was much better – just tap the button.
Motorola ATRIX • Samsung Galaxy S5
Eventually, the Androids would switch to the capacitive type reader, placing them variously on the back or sideways (usually combined with the power button).
At MWC Shanghai 2017 vivo demonstrated a prototype phone with a fingerprint reader that was located under the display panel, what is now commonly referred to as an under-display reader. We had a chance to test the device ourselves – it needed work, but it looked so futuristic.
vivo would soon release the first mass-market phone with an in-display fingerprint reader – the vivo X20 UD – which was quickly followed by the X21 UD. That year there was a sudden explosion of phones equipped with UD readers.
We also want to highlight the Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design of this generation. This is not only the first Huawei phone with a UD reader, but it actually had two fingerprint readers: one under the display and one on the back (it’s not the only one either). The more there are, the better, right?
vivo X20 Plus UD • vivo X21 UD • Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design
Most fingerprints nowadays are either capacitive (those where the reader is on the surface, such as on the back or side-mounted) or optical (under the display readers). But there is another type.
In early 2019, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S10 series, the first to feature ultrasonic fingerprint readers. These were advertised as safer as they could “see” your finger in 3D rather than 2D (like optical readers), which made them much harder to fool. However, they encountered some issues with some screen protectors that caused the reading process to fail.
Samsung Galaxy S10 • Samsung Galaxy S10 + • Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
The second generation of Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor covered a larger area and was faster. Even better, it supported foldable phones. This brought us the vivo X Fold, which has under-display readers on both the cover display and the foldable internal display.
vivo Fold X with two fingerprint readers under the ultrasonic display
There hasn’t been much movement in the fingerprint reader in recent years. They have become prevalent, even on relatively low-cost devices, but there have been no major technological developments. Manufacturers are trying to make them faster and bigger so they’re more comfortable to use, but it’s hardly revolutionary.
As early as 2018, the vivo APEX concept phone had a fingerprint reader that covered half of the display – watch our practical video to see it in action. The extra size allowed for a curious mode where two fingers could be scanned at the same time, which offered added security. Something that became a mass-market reality with the vivo X80 Pro earlier this year.
The vivo APEX concept phone had a huge fingerprint reader that covered almost half of the display
From humble beginnings to one ubiquitous feature: fingerprint readers have come a long way over the past two decades. Have they reached their final form, leaving only small improvements to be expected from now on? Or do you think there is still the possibility of a revolutionary change like the move under the display?
Start a new Thread