Huawei says it’s working to make all-screen fingerprint authentication co-exist with in-display selfie cameras.
The company also says we can expect the new authentication tech in “a generation or two.”
Huawei confirmed its work on all-screen fingerprint authentication last week, allowing the user to touch anywhere on the display to unlock the phone or specific apps. Now, the company has shared more information with Android Authority regarding the technology and rough availability.
All-screen fingerprint authentication requires numerous sensors underneath the display, complicating smartphone design in the process. Furthermore, several brands are working on in-display selfie camera technology, as the front-facing camera goes under the screen too. So could we see a Huawei phone packing both of these radical technologies?
“We are working to make it [all-screen fingerprint – ed] co-exist with in-display selfie cameras,” the company told us in an emailed response.
One of the more notable challenges with all-screen fingerprint authentication is that it requires multiple biometric sensors instead of just one as we see with current phones. However, Huawei says it’s working to “cut down the cost of sensors” as part of a move to bring the tech to markets as soon as possible.
Multiple fingerprint sensors mean increased power consumption in theory too, but Huawei is trying to claw back some juice in this regard. In fact, the firm says it’s using machine learning to only deliver power to the part of the screen your finger touches, instead of turning on the whole screen to power the fingerprint sensors.
The Chinese brand has also given us a very rough timeline of when we can expect to see the tech come to market. And it sounds like you shouldn’t hold your breath for the Mate 40 series to offer the feature.
“There is not a definitive date yet, but it is likely to come to market in a generation or two,” Huawei told us.
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