If you were under the impression that facial recognition may be the only way to secure smartphones in the future, you were wrong. Synaptics Incorporate, a hardware manufacturer announced plans to mass produce an optical in-display sensor. 

This basically means that a fingerprint scanner will be embedded under a phone's screen and has been dubbed as “Clear ID”. The new optical in-display sensor will make it easier for users to unlock smartphones that have a bezel-less design. Though Synaptics is not the first company to develop this technology, however, the company claims to mass produce their product to compete with the big companies. 

"Synaptics' Clear ID performance is twice as fast as 3D facial recognition," the company explained in a press release, "and requires only one touch to access your smartphone.”

The company released a video of the new under the screen scanner and it does look quite fast, as compared to Face ID

© Synaptics

Synaptics also says that fingerprint technology will also allow users to unlock their smartphone from any angle. Users can unlock the smartphone while sitting on a table or while the device is on a car mount. 

Apple may have ditched Touch ID for the new fancy facial recognition but there have been many instances where researchers were able to hack the security system. Fingerprint scanning based security systems are not going anywhere anytime soon and it seems like Synaptics is making sure of it.

© Synaptics

"Consumers prefer fingerprint authentication on the front of the phone, and with the industry quickly shifting to bezel-free OLED infinity displays, the natural placement of the fingerprint sensor is in the display itself,” Kevin Barber, Synaptics's mobile division Senior Vice President and General Manager, noted in a statement.

Only time will tell when the embedded fingerprint scanner under a screen will make an appearance on a smartphone or whether facial recognition will be the way to go in the near future.  

Source: Digital Trends