Galaxy S10: Samsung’s Entire 2018 Flagship Range Will Likely Have In-Screen Fingerprint Sensors
All eyes on the smartphone community today might be on the upcoming release of the iPhone XS series, but its 2019 rival, the Galaxy S10, is making some waves of its own. Recently, reports have emerged stating that Samsung would likely be more generous than expected with the features of its 2019 flagship device, equipping the entire Galaxy S10 range with an on-screen fingerprint sensor.
Samsung is rumored to release three versions of the Galaxy S10 this coming year, comprised of two high-end units and one that is lower-priced. This particular strategy is a direct response to Apple’s 2018 strategy with the iPhone XS, considering that the Cupertino-based tech giant is rumored to be preparing for the release of three iPhones this month.
Previous rumors about the Galaxy S10 speculated that the South Korean tech giant would be introducing an in-screen fingerprint sensor on the 2019 device. However, previous reports have noted that Samsung would only be rolling out the feature on the two more expensive variants of the smartphone. As for the rumored lower-priced Galaxy S10, it was believed that the device would be given a fingerprint sensor on the side, in the form of a physical button, according to a Forbes report.
Recent reports, however, have emerged claiming that Samsung has changed its stance on the Galaxy S10. According to a report from The Investor, Samsung would be introducing in-screen fingerprint sensors for the entire Galaxy S10 range, including the lower-priced model (believed to be dubbed as the Galaxy S10 Lite). This does not mean that Samsung would be making the S10’s two more expensive variants less special, however.
The South Korean publication noted that Samsung would be equipping the two more expensive Galaxy S10 variants with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, which creates a 3D mapped fingerprint instead of a flat image used by an optical scanner. This makes the two high-end S10 variants more accurate and secure than the conventional, fingerprint-secured smartphone.
So what of the lower-priced Galaxy S10 Lite? Samsung is reportedly equipping the device with an optical fingerprint sensor instead. Optical sensors are roughly three times less expensive than ultrasonic sensors, which should help keep the upcoming device’s price down. Quite ironically, the “cheaper” optical fingerprint sensor that would reportedly be used in the Galaxy S10 Lite would be the same sensor used by Apple in its iPhones before the company retired its TouchID feature.
Could this be yet another jab at Apple? Only Samsung’s higher-ups would hold the answer, but that being said, the South Korean tech giant deserves some credit for having the bravado of using an optical sensor — once used by its main rival as a key security feature — as the sensor of choice for its “cheap” 2019 flagship smartphone.
