Last updated: December 9th, 2020 at 12:08 UTC+01:00

Galaxy S21 fingerprint reader could be twice as fast, offer other upgrades

The under-display fingerprint reader of the Galaxy S21 is said to be twice as fast compared to the tech Samsung used this year. According to a newly emerged rumor, the sensor area used by the reader is said to cover an 8 x 8mm area. This would make it 77% larger compared to the sensor area on the Galaxy S20 series, and also the Galaxy Note 20 series and last year’s Galaxy S10 and Note 10 lineups.

Will twice as fast be fast enough?

Today’s report comes from a known Samsung insider and seems to describe a technology that’s already been rumored for the Galaxy Note 20 range. The aforementioned claim about speed should, in practice, allow users to unlock a Galaxy S21-series smartphone by simply tapping on its screen instead of pressing it. Not to mention that the larger sensor area should also reduce the number of failed unlock attempts.

In the grand scheme of things, perfecting in-display fingerprint readers is still a pretty substantial part of Samsung’s pursuit of fully bezel-free smartphone designs. Combined with under-display selfie cameras, Samsung may finally reach that goal in the near future. What remains to be seen, however, is how quickly this tech trickles down to Samsung’s non-flagship products.

As for its next flagship family, the Galaxy S21 series is expected to launch a bit earlier than usual. We should hence know everything there is to know about it come January, following yet another online-only Galaxy Unpacked event.