Samsung has reportedly contracted a new fingerprint scanner supplier for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9 flagship. According to one Korean online publication, the new supplier located in Taiwan has previously provided the OEM with fingerprint sensors for the mid-range smartphone market and will enter the premium scene next year. Furthermore, following the alleged change in the company’s supply chain, the current fingerprint scanner supplier who’s been providing modules for devices like the Galaxy S8 might be in danger of losing its business. Meanwhile, the new supplier from Taiwan is reportedly expected to significantly improve its operations for obvious reasons, namely the fact that Samsung sells tens of millions of devices bearing the ‘Galaxy S’ moniker every year and will be looking for a lot of components.
With the emergence of full-screen designs, many OEMs had to rethink the fingerprint sensor placement on smartphones, and in some scenarios, these biometric sensors have been replaced by entirely different technologies. There have been various rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S9 and the type of secure authentication technology it may employ, with some older rumors hinting at in-panel fingerprint sensors and others suggesting that the company might fit the Galaxy S9’s fingerprint sensor inside a notch on the display which would sacrifice some of the panel’s real estate. More realistically perhaps, recent rumors indicate that the Samsung Galaxy S9 will have a more conventional approach and sport a fingerprint scanner on its back panel. However, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S8 whose fingerprint sensor resides a bit too close to the camera module for some people’s liking, the Galaxy S9 would reportedly relocate the sensor to the middle of the back panel at a fair distance from the camera lens.
Whether or not this slight change in design has prompted the Korean OEM to search for a different fingerprint scanner supplier is unclear but nevertheless, contracting a new supplier might indicate that the Samsung Galaxy S9’s module could have a different size and shape compared to the ongoing model. Either way, it’s likely that the next flagship in the series will also feature an iris scanner and provide additional ways of authenticating one’s identity in a secure and convenient manner. The company’s upcoming premium device is expected to be unveiled in the first half of 2018, with some rumors suggesting that Samsung may plan an earlier-than-usual release in order to challenge Apple’s latest top-tier device.