This article was published on May 2, 2016

LG just developed an invisible fingerprint sensor


LG just developed an invisible fingerprint sensor

Fingerprint sensors are about to get a lot less obtrusive. LG’s Innotek, which specializes in creating new hardware components, just announced a fingerprint sensor that could live under your screen’s glass.

While that doesn’t make it the first button-less implementation – the Nexus 6P and HTC 10 use non-moving fingerprint sensors – it does mean manufacturers can choose to build sleeker devices without a fingerprint indent, or even completely hide the sensor.

It also helps manufacturers waterproof phones, by not having to worry about another gap to add gaskets around, as well as a give them a bit more options as to where to place the sensor without breaking a device’s aesthetics. It could also help make bezels smaller while still incorporating a fingerprint sensor.

LG says its new sensor is just as accurate as traditional ones with a false positive rate of just 0.002 percent. Given that having a fingerprint sensor is virtually essential for a major smartphone nowadays, expect these to show up in many more devices in the coming years.

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with