Samsung Galaxy S8 to bundle an optical fingerprint scanner

Even though some of the early S8 details have been exciting, it's hard to get too carried away at this point. Samsung has yet to establish why its Note 7 went up in smoke and until the company and its engineers figure out what was to blame, moving forward with the next major device will be tricky. Indeed, we heard a few days back that Galaxy S8 development may be temporarily on ice given the Note 7 fallout. 

Previous reports have indicated that the Galaxy S8 will be a full-screen affair, rather similar to what Xiaomi has delivered with its exciting new Mi MIX. It has been suggested that Samsung could bake the fingerprint scanner into the display itself, which would negate the need for a physical home button. 

optical fingerprint recognition tech is faster and more accurate than ultrasonic

A source at Weibo has shed a little more light on this potential configuration. Since optical technology can scan a fingerprint through a glass plate, Samsung's supposed full-screen endeavors could be realised. Notably, an optical fingerprint scanner would provide better accuracy speed improvements over the much-vaunted ultrasonic system.

Of course, Samsung could simply place the fingerprint tech on the back of the device, as a large number of smartphones already do. But since its customers are attuned to the front-facing configuration, it would make sense for the company to explore methods to keep it that way. 

Given the excitement that has greeted the aforementioned Mi MIX -- a device that doesn't look to be headed to markets outside of Asia for now -- a full-screen flagship could be just the recovery device that Samsung needs. The firm always makes a strong effort to impress consumers with new features, but there's particular importance on the Galaxy S8 to deliver near-perfection. 

We'll keep you posted on any further S8-related info, so stay tuned.

source: Weibo via SamMobile