The Galaxy Note 8 may keep that pesky fingerprint sensor on the back
Samsung moved the Galaxy S8's fingerprint sensor to the back of the phone. Now one report claims that the Note 8 will do the same.
One of our biggest complaints about the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus is the awkward, uncentered placement of the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone next to the camera lens. And while one rumor suggests that Samsung's next marquee phone, the Galaxy Note 8, would solve this problem by incorporating a sensor beneath the display, a Korean report from Naver now claims that this won't be the case.
Unlocking your phone shouldn't be like playing a game of Operation with your camera.
Samsung was reportedly working with its partner Synaptics in order to add the virtual sensor tech to the Galaxy S8, but the duo couldn't quite figure it out in time. Naver reports that Samsung is still running into problems, and the technology might not be ready for the Note 8 either, quoting an anonymous Samsung official.
That being said, Samsung has reportedly teamed up with South Korean company CrucialTec and will continue working on the under-screen sensor, says Naver. This still leaves the possibility that it could find its way onto a later phone.
It isn't clear if the Note 8's fingerprint reader would keep its location, or become more centered, as it is on phones like the LG G6 and Google Pixel .
The Galaxy Note 8 is expected to arrive a little before chief rival Apple reveals its 10th anniversary iPhone, a device that's also rumored to have undergone a redesign, possibly integrating its own fingerprint reader with the screen. (It's also reportedly running into problems.) The Note 8, which will target power users, has the opportunity to fix the S8's flaws and capitalize on trends like a dual rear camera.
So which upcoming flagship will successfully incorporate an in-screen fingerprint sensor? We'll have to wait and see.
Samsung declined to comment.