Qualcomm announces 3D Sonic Sensor Generation 2, compatible with foldables

12 January 2021
The new sensor is seriously thin, enables new form factors, and even works through metal.

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  • D
  • AnonD-909757
  • pZV
  • 12 Jan 2021

The sad thing is, ultrasonic fingerprint scanner IS BY FAR the best tech, but I don't know if it is the limited Qualcomm made or dumbed down Samsung use of it, but sadly because of the S10/S20, Note10/Note20 it have been considered as a bad tech.
The same way 2Mp Macro camera lets people thing Macro = bad quality...

The tech itself have nothing to do with how bad Samsung and/or Qualcomm are.

A real and good sensor could :
*Identify screen protectors, gloves, and any other non-organic material and reject it.
*Read fingerprint in real 3D with impressive level of details.
*Check it properly read flesh and not some 3D printed reproduction attempt.
*Read veins patterns that are as unique as fingerprint, combining both give exponentially more security.
*Check the presence of blood in those veins and not get fooled by substitutes.
*If the user want to press long enough, read the heartbeat to either confirm it is indeed a living person, or simply allow you to monitor/read yours.
*For models getting waves deep enough, checking the presence and proper acoustic properties of the distal phalanx (the bone on the tip of the finger).

Meaning you would only be able to fool it by building an extremely high resolution replica in 3D of the finger with a material having the same acoustic properties as flesh, reproduce the person's veins, put something with the same density/acoustic properties as blood, and possibly reproduce a distal phalanx and heartbeat.
Optical need a good picture to be fooled and capacitive one with gummy fingerprint.

That's how/what a real ultrasonic fingerprint scanner can and should work/do.
So please, don't let Samsung poor implementation make you think the tech is worthless, as it is probably the best one.
And it can be used under the display, on the side, on the back or anywhere alike.

    • ?
    • Anonymous
    • ftb
    • 12 Jan 2021

    Anonymous, 12 Jan 2021Agreed. Another benefit was that it worked while your hands... moreSonic scanners don't work through most Glass screen protectors, and decent optical scanners work with moist fingers, capacitive scanners require clean and dry fingerprints to read correctly, if the entire screen lights up to scan your finger then it's the manufacturer's fault, I own a phone with such a scanner and the rest of the screen stays completely black during the scan.

      Hopefully Qualcomm has optimised it better. The last one was truly disappointing. Great idea, but terrible implementation of tech. Almost as disappointing as the ZTE Axon 20 Under Display Camera (UDC), or foldable by Non-Samsung phones.

        • ?
        • Anonymous
        • fJ5
        • 12 Jan 2021

        DBS, 12 Jan 2021Absolutely correct.You are so right.

          • D
          • DBS
          • t1%
          • 12 Jan 2021

          Anonymous, 12 Jan 2021Agreed. Another benefit was that it worked while your hands... moreAbsolutely correct.

            Anonymous, 12 Jan 2021Agreed. Another benefit was that it worked while your hands... moreI still hate the fact that were moving in that direction as I like the rear mounted fps.
            But I'm just one guy who is always on the lower side of the polls on this site.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • u1I
              • 12 Jan 2021

              Lyndino, 12 Jan 2021Why does this article make it sound like the ultra sonic se... moreAgreed. Another benefit was that it worked while your hands were wet unlike most optical scanners

                Why does this article make it sound like the ultra sonic sensor is way slower than the optical used by other brands but another article on this same website stated that the speed difference was barely noticeable. And, if there was any real difference, the fact that you don't need the blinding light of the screen being on compared to a black screen was actually a benefit.