In short: Samsung’s first Android smartphone with a quadruple-camera setup may also be the company’s first handset featuring an in-display fingerprint reader, with one industry insider recently claiming the South Korean company tested some prototypes sporting such a biometric solution. The smartphone is expected to be a mid-range offering, though it’s still unclear whether it will launch as part of the Galaxy A brand. Samsung is also said to have prepared at least one variant of the device with a gradient color finish, whereas the phone’s planned availability remains unclear.
Background: Earlier today, the Seoul-based electronics juggernaut confirmed its unconventional product will be introduced next month, teasing its quadruple-camera setup as being extra “fun.” The upcoming device should be introduced as an addition to the firm’s main Galaxy family, with the October 11 happening being officially described as “a Galaxy event.” Recent reports suggested Samsung may commercialize under-screen fingerprint readers in some of its mid-rangers before bringing them to its Android flagships but if that’s the case with the handset set to be unveiled next month, the device is unlikely to ever become commercially available outside of China and possibly a small number of other Asian countries, as per the same sources.
Impact: Even if Samsung was to equip its quadruple-camera phone with an in-display fingerprint reader, consumers shouldn’t expect a device capable of taking on the high-end segment of the market. Instead, the firm is more likely to use such an unconventional imaging system as a unique selling point and do the same with its under-screen scanner that will almost certainly be of the optical variety. The Galaxy S10 lineup, on the other hand, is widely expected to feature ultrasonic scanners which are much faster, more accurate (i.e. secure), and do a significantly better job at handling wet fingertips. The upcoming device should become available for purchase by early November, though it remains to be seen whether Samsung will make it available for pre-orders given how it traditionally reserves such pre-sale periods for its ultra-premium Android offerings.