Synaptics and Vivo may already be showing off the first smartphone with an under-glass fingerprint sensor, but Japan Display plans to launch its own solution.
Basically, the company says its transparent, glass-based, capacitive fingerprint sensor uses the same touch technology that’s already available in the company’s touchscreen displays to detect changes in capacitance when your finger touches the screen. Japan Display says this allows a transparent glass substrate to identify the ridges and recesses of a fingerprint without the need for an opaque sensor built into a home button or placed on the back of a phone.
With phone makers moving toward slim bezels and higher screen-to-body ratios, in-glass fingerprint sensors provide an alternative to traditional sensor placements (and to high-tech facial recognition systems). But Japan Display says the technology could also be used to let you securely unlock a door, authorize a credit card, or perform other actions.
The company says it plans to begin shipping an 8mm x 8mm sensor by March, 2019. It has a resolution of 160 x 160 pixels, at 508 pixels per inch. Eventually Japan Display plans to offer larger and smaller sizes.
via GSM Arena
This is going to spawn a lot of devices that may capture your fingerprint(with a malicious intent) on common surfaces like door, windows and buildings.
Note that they don’t show it on the display of a phone and they don’t provide key info like optical properties and cover glass thickness so it’s likely not good enough for displays. The press release mentions phones but it’s not specific about where on the phone.
Yeah, I noticed that too.
Looks like the way forward is using Ultrasound to scan for fingerprints under surfaces.