Synaptics’ New Fingerprint Sensors Can Scan Through Display Glass

One of the rumors of the iPhone 8 is that Apple will do away with the home button once and for all. However the question is with the home button gone, where will Apple put its Touch ID fingerprint sensor? It has been speculated that it would be underneath the glass, and it looks like Synaptics might have clued us in on what to expect.

Synaptics has recently announced a new fingerprint sensor in which it is capable of scanning through display glass. This means that not only will the sensor be protected from scratches, but it will be waterproof as well and will work with wet fingers, a problem that most fingerprint sensors these days struggle with.

While Synaptics does not state who they are supplying this component to, the company is one of Apple’s known suppliers. However the company supplies Apple with LCD display drivers and not its Touch ID components, so it is unclear if this is somehow linked. However even if they aren’t connected, Synaptics’ solution could hint at the future of phone designs.

The company is definitely not the first to come up with this solution. Prior to this, Qualcomm had their own version called Sense ID that they debuted last year that also could scan fingerprints through the glass, although not many devices have adopted the technology since.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Security, synaptics