Galaxy S24 series fingerprint sensors are fast, but not the fastest

Credit where credit is due. Unlocking any Galaxy S24 series phone with your fingerprint is a breeze. You should already know this if you've used one of Samsung's latest flagships for even a day. The process feels as fast as it does on the Galaxy S23, if not faster. And that should be enough to please even the most demanding of users.

Nevertheless, speedy as it may be, it's worth noting that the Galaxy S24 series' fingerprint sensor is not the king of Galaxy phones. We're sorry to disappoint you, but Samsung's other premium phone lineup does it faster.

Samsung's foldable phones hold the crown

Samsung's foldable devices, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, can be unlocked even quicker using the fingerprint reader. They are virtually instantaneous, and you may only notice that the Galaxy S24 flagships aren't by contrast. However, there is a big caveat. These foldable phones don't use the same technology as the Galaxy S24 lineup.

You could say that Samsung's foldable phones are cheating. Your Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultras have in-display ultrasonic-based fingerprint readers, while the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lineups use the less fancy but more reliable and usually faster capacitive fingerprint reading tech.

Mind you, this is not as much by choice as it is a side-effect of Samsung's foldable design. Embedding the capacitive fingerprint sensor in the side button is a better choice for the company's dual-screen foldable phones, and the fact that they're as fast as they are is just a happy coincidence.

Samsung might switch gears and bring ultrasonic-based in-display fingerprint sensors to future Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold models. The playing field will then equalize for all premium phones, but until then, the Galaxy S24 series is only the 2nd fastest.

In case you're wondering, yes, even low-cost devices like the Galaxy A05s, A15, and A25, which are equipped with side-mounted fingerprint sensors, have the potential to unlock faster than the Galaxy S24 series. Capacitive solutions are that speedy! However, given their low-cost hardware, the Galaxy A05s, A15, and A25 are far from Samsung's fastest phones, and the speed of their capacitive sensors can be held back by lagging UI animations and performance hiccups. Therefore, only the Galaxy Z Folds and Flips can really rise up to the challenge reliably and hold the crown.