Could Samsung’s Next Phone Feature a Synaptics In-Display Fingerprint Reader?

Fingerprint sensor manufacturer Synaptics just announced that it has begun mass production with a top-five OEM to produce its new Clear ID FS9500 in-display fingerprint sensor.

While the announcement did not specify the specific OEM, it could be Samsung since it is preparing to launch the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ early next year.

Considering that the company mentioned top 5 OEMs, it could be Samsung, Apple and Chinese smartphone makers like Huawei, Xiaomi and OPPO. There’s a good chance that it isn’t Apple since it is working hard on making Face ID the next big thing and is preparing to make it better on the iPhone X and other upcoming iPhones. Introducing Touch ID under the display would make Face ID almost redundant.

Synaptics’ prior history of working with Samsung and the specific mention of “OLED infinity displays” in Synaptics’ press release (Samsung calls its bezel-less Galaxy S8 and Note 8 screens “infinity displays”) suggests that the two companies might once again be working together.

Right now, it’s too early to say whether the Samsung Galaxy S9 will indeed feature an in-display fingerprint reader from Synaptics. The S9 unveiling is only a few months away, and Samsung may not want to make last-minute changes to its flagship smartphone.

Synaptics has been working on an in-display fingerprint reader for quite some time, and the company’s first project, the Clear ID-FS9100, was announced late last year.