Smartphone manufacturers are currently massively working on the possibility of placing the fingerprint scanner under the display. 2018 should be the year in which we will see this new technology more and more often.
Oppo smartphone with an in-display fingerprint scanner
In December 2017, the manufacturer Synaptics announced its UnderGlass technology, which makes it possible to place the fingerprint sensor under the display. The Chinese manufacturer Vivo gratefully used this and announced the Vivo X20 Plus UD a month later, the world’s first smartphone with an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Vivo is a relatively young smartphone manufacturer and is part of the Chinese multinational BBK Electronics. Other brands that fall under the same concern are OnePlus and Oppo. BBK Electronics was founded in 1995 by billionaire Duan Yongping, and 4 is now the largest smartphone manufacturer globally.
A recently published patent indicates that sister company Oppo is also developing a smartphone with a fingerprint sensor under the display.
On 10 May 2017, Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications filed a patent with China’s State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO). The patent was approved on March 30, 2018, and shows various images of Oppo smartphones with a built-in fingerprint sensor under the display. The drawings were designed by Zhou Yibao. Although the patent contains little textual information, the images speak for themselves.
Oppo Find 9 premium smartphone
It is in line with expectations that Oppo will also use the Synaptics fingerprint sensor. Although Oppo has not released any high-end devices in recent years, the general expectation is that the Chinese manufacturer will again release a premium smartphone in 2018.
Reportedly, the next top model is the Oppo Find 9. There are still few definite specifications known about this smartphone. Last year the company introduced a 5x optical zoom lens at the MWC 2017 to zoom in without loss of quality. This double camera with 5x zoom seems to make its debut in the Find 9.
A year earlier, Oppo introduced its Super VOOC technology at the same telecom fair as the successor to the VOOC Flash Charge. Super VOOC makes it possible to fully charge the battery in just 15 minutes. Unfortunately, this technology has not yet been used in Oppo smartphones. It seems to be a valuable addition to the flagship device. In addition, there are noises that the high-end smartphone is equipped with facial recognition technology.
The Oppo Find 9 is expected somewhere between June and September 2018. It is still unclear at the moment whether we will see the innovative fingerprint sensor in this smartphone, but it is certainly not inconceivable.
Smartphones with fingerprint sensors under the display
Oppo will no longer be able to belong to the second manufacturer that introduces a smartphone with an in-display fingerprint sensor. Because since a month also, Chinese competitor Huawei had a smartphone model in its portfolio with a fingerprint scanner on display, namely the advanced and expensive Huawei Mate RS with Porsche Design.
Another Chinese manufacturer who wants to implement such technology in future flagship devices is Xiaomi. Also, the Korean smartphone manufacturers Samsung and LG will not want to stay behind. For example, it has been known that Samsung has wanted to implement such a sensor for a long time.
This technology was not yet ready to apply to the Galaxy S9. But Samsung is reportedly working hard on a solution, so the Galaxy Note 9 that is expected later this year will have an in-display fingerprint sensor. The American Apple would also work on a similar sensor for years.
In any case, BBK Electronics seems ready to take on the international battle on the smartphone market also in the future. Because it is not only in this area that the company is showing innovation, so there have also been several patents of a foldable Oppo smartphone.
