Qualcomm introduces faster fingerprint sensor for smartphones

Many flagships already use Qualcomm's 3D Sonic Sensor for in-display fingerprint scanning, including Samsung Galaxy S10, Note 10, S20, and Note 20 series. Today, the US company announced an update to its fingerprint sensor, which is much faster and slightly larger.

Simply dubbed Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2, the new fingerprint sensor is said to offer a better user experience thanks to enhanced technologies and acoustics (ultrasonic waves). The new smartphone component is capable of scanning fingerprints through solid surfaces like glass and metal even while wet.

As mentioned earlier, the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 is very thin, measuring just .2mm. Its ultra-thin form factor makes it perfect for smartphones that feature edge-to-edge flexible OLED displays.

The second-generation 3D Sonic Sensor is 50% faster and 77% larger compared with the first generation. That means that it provides a larger region for users to place their fingers and allows the sensor to capture 1.7x more biometric data. Thanks to its larger size and faster processing, Qualcomm's 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 can unlock smartphones quicker than the previous generation.

According to Qualcomm, the new fingerprint sensor is expected to debut in smartphones in early 2021, and the Galaxy S21 might be one of the first to include the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2.