Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Tab S7 tablet will be available in two sizes but the smaller 11-inch variant won’t feature in-display fingerprint scanning. That’s according to a recent report from SamMobile, citing a ‘usually reliable’ insider source.
The larger, 12.4-inch version of the device will still come with an in-display fingerprint scanner, the source indicates. But the smaller of the two devices will pack the fingerprint scanner under the power button. Speculatively, the decision for Samsung may ultimately come down to cost-cutting measures. Those would, in turn, help the smaller gadget sell better.
What does this mean for Galaxy Tab S7 end-users?
It’s debatable whether or not an in-display scanner is going to really be a ‘feature’. Ultrasonic fingerprint scanners, as the company is likely to use in the “plus” variant, are typically considered to be more accurate and secure. But they also aren’t necessarily the best option, in terms of comfort and positioning, in a screen as large as 12.4-inches.
In smaller smartphone screens, the scanners are already well-within thumbs reach effectively no matter how the device is held. In a tablet, a center-placed scanner is arguably not in such a convenient position. Either users must be able to reach several inches or they must hold the device awkwardly in one hand while pressing on the screen with the other.
S0 a power button-mounted scanner would arguably be more well-positioned to favor comfort. Samsung could also use an optical scanner under the display in its larger tablet. If it does, the difference in terms of security may effectively be moot. That would result in a choice for end-users that comes down to preference rather than which is the better or worse fingerprint technology in the Galaxy Tab S7.
Why would Samsung be worried about pricing here?
The last premium Samsung Galaxy-branded premium tablet to launch was the Galaxy Tab S6. That only just landed in August 2019. Users are already reluctant to update expensive smartphones and undoubtedly are more reluctant still when it comes to less popular devices such as tablets. So Samsung needs to make sure it gets the pricing right.
Perhaps as pertinently, the company’s flagship smartphone sales are not going as well as might be hoped. So it makes sense that Samsung would want to compromise on some features to ensure a high-value offering. Fingerprint scanning technology represents just one place it can do that without damaging the user experience.