Only this weekend! Samsung Discover deals! Galaxy S24 Ultra, Watch 6, Z Fold 5 or, Z Flip 5.

SamMobile has affiliate and sponsored partnerships. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.

Notifications
    News for you

    Thoughts on the Galaxy S8’s fingerprint sensor: What’s the fuss all about?

    Opinion
    By 

    Last updated: May 24th, 2017 at 10:23 UTC+02:00

    Many Samsung fans were up in arms when it was confirmed that the Galaxy S8's fingerprint sensor is placed at the back, alongside the camera. Some of us here at SamMobile were extremely critical of this, too, but I don't personally agree with all of the flak that Samsung is having to take because of this decision.

    This is the first time that Samsung has placed the sensor here, and it had no other option. Optical fingerprint sensors aren't ready for primetime, and it had to free up space for that gorgeous Infinity Display.

    The company hasn't done anything unusual. Rivals like LG and Huawei placed the fingerprint sensor on some of their smartphones at the back a long time ago. The only difference is that none of them positioned the sensor as close to the rear camera as Samsung has. This is what concerns most potential customers. They feel that they will end up smudging the camera lens every time they want to unlock their phone.

    Galaxy S8 owners might find it relatively easier to use the fingerprint sensor, but prospective Galaxy S8+ buyers may be concerned about having to stretch a bit too much to use the sensor. I've been using the Galaxy S8+ for a few weeks now and have configured the fingerprint sensor as the preferred screen lock type.

    This is my main device so you can imagine that it's locked and unlocked countless times every single day when I'm out rushing to get things done and even when I'm fumbling for my phone in bed at night with the lights out and no glasses. I have a habit of placing my phone face down, be it any surface, so my index finger naturally stretches up to touch the sensor as I hold the phone to pick it up and face it towards me.

    I can tell you this much: You get used to it. Using a fingerprint sensor on the back of a big device like the Galaxy S8+ might appear to be daunting, but it really isn't. You will get used to the new placement within a couple of days and after that, it won't even register as a change.

    It certainly helps that there's a metal rim surrounding the fingerprint sensor. The rim acts as a guide so that you easily know precisely where you have to place your finger to unlock the device.

    Granted, if you normally place your phone face up, it will take longer to get used to the new placement. That's because it's not possible to unlock the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ when the handset is placed on its back. You have to pick up the phone first and then place your finger on the sensor.

    Samsung has tried to make the repositioned fingerprint sensor more useful by adding the finger sensor gestures feature. It's buried in the Settings app and isn't enabled by default, but it does make a difference. Here's how you find and enable this feature.

    Once enabled, the feature allows you to swipe down and up to open and close the notification shade respectively. So the couple of seconds that you would have lost having to pick up the device first are recovered when you quickly open the notification shade with a swipe of your finger without having to reach out to the top of the display.

    You'll also notice that the fingerprint sensor is faster than it has ever been on any previous Samsung device. It's smarter as well. It can read the fingerprint from any angle. So even if you registered your fingerprint vertically, the sensor can read it horizontally. It's the little changes that show Samsung has been considerate in its repositioning of the fingerprint sensor.

    Thus, in my opinion, all of the fuss about the fingerprint sensor being in the wrong place is just that: fuss. It's not something that negatively impacts the user experience or proves to be a nuisance if you're using the Galaxy S8 as your daily driver. Like all changes, it takes getting used to, and it becomes second nature before you know it.

    I'd trade the home button mounted fingerprint sensor for the gorgeous Infinity Display any day. I'm glad that Samsung did what it did to bring us a device that really takes you by surprise when you hold it for the first time. Fewer devices have that ability to excite you and for me, the Galaxy S8 takes the cake.

    Do share your thoughts about this in the comments below. Also, do let us know which is your preferred screen lock type for the Galaxy S8 by voting in our poll.

    Opinion Fingerprint RecognitionGalaxy S8 PlusSamsung Galaxy S8

    You might also like

    Galaxy S24 sales surpass 1 million mark in South Korea, beating Galaxy S8

    Galaxy S24 sales surpass 1 million mark in South Korea, beating Galaxy S8

    The Galaxy S24 series has received tremendous response since its launch last month. Samsung's new flagship smartphone series broke pre-order records in several countries, including India and South Korea. Samsung has revealed that the Galaxy S24 series sales have crossed 1 million in its home country in record time. Galaxy S24 sales cross 1 million […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 2 weeks ago
    Samsung releases new firmware update for the Galaxy S6 series

    Samsung releases new firmware update for the Galaxy S6 series

    Several old Samsung Galaxy S-series phones were suffering from the GPS issue, which the company has been fixing by delivering updates. Galaxy devices such as the Galaxy S8 from 2017, and the Galaxy S7 from 2016, have already bagged the GPS bug fix update, and now it is time for an even older series, the […]

    • By Sagar Naresh
    • 1 year ago
    Samsung releases important update for discontinued Galaxy S7 and S8

    Samsung releases important update for discontinued Galaxy S7 and S8

    Up until a couple of years ago, even Samsung flagship smartphones only received two major Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates. The company now provides the best software support of any Android OEM. Many devices now receive four Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates. The Galaxy S7 and Galaxy […]

    • By Adnan Farooqui
    • 2 years ago
    5-year-old Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ get new software update

    5-year-old Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ get new software update

    Earlier this year, Samsung had removed the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ from its software support list. However, the company surprised everyone by releasing a new security update to the smartphones in September 2021. Now, the South Korean firm has released one more software update to its five-year-old phones. The Galaxy S8 and the […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 2 years ago
    T-Mobile will buy these Galaxy phones for you just for switching networks

    T-Mobile will buy these Galaxy phones for you just for switching networks

    The offer includes various Galaxy S and Galaxy Note models and comes with a prepaid card worth up to $1,000.

    • By Mihai Matei
    • 2 years ago
    Samsung surprises Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ users with new software update

    Samsung surprises Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ users with new software update

    Samsung had launched the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ four years ago, and the company had removed them from its software update list two months ago. However, the South Korean firm has now released a new update to those smartphones and managed to surprise long-time Galaxy S8 users. The Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy […]

    • By Asif Iqbal Shaik
    • 3 years ago