Qualcomm’s second-gen ultrasonic fingerprint reader is larger and faster
- Qualcomm has introduced the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2.
- The next generation ultrasonic fingerprint reader has a larger scanning area and is much faster.
- The first phones to use it will arrive in early 2021.
Still frustrated with the accuracy and responsiveness of ultrasonic fingerprint readers in phones like the Galaxy S20? You may not be with future phones. Qualcomm has introduced a Gen 2 3D sound sensor that promises to alleviate many of the headaches associated with previous reading technologies.
The new ultrasonic sensor has a 77% larger area for fingerprint readers that collects 1.7 times more data than Gen 1, according to Qualcomm. More importantly, it’s about 50% faster than its predecessor. Not only should you worry less about where to put your finger, but you should also unlock your phone much faster.
See also: How fingerprint scanners work – capacitive, optical and ultrasonic
The updated sensor is also only 0.2mm (0.008 in) thick, making it suitable for edge-to-edge flexible OLED displays in foldable phones. It still offers an advantage over capacitive sensors as your fingers are recognized even when wet.
Qualcomm expects the first phones with its new ultrasonic fingerprint reader to be available in early 2021. The company didn’t name any manufacturers or devices, but the Galaxy S21’s January 14 debut is just around the corner. It’s not surprising if, given the history of the two companies, Samsung started using Qualcomm’s latest fingerprint sensor in its flagships of 2021, and we would expect other Android phone makers to follow suit.
It is uncertain how well the improved reader will work in practice. However, it is well timed. With an ongoing pandemic where the use of masks makes facial recognition impractical, it’s more important than ever to have fingerprint sensors that work quickly and reliably.
