LG Innotek introduces buttonless fingerprint sensor for smartphones
LG Innotek, LG's components subsidiary, announced a new fingerprint sensor on Monday. The new component does away with buttons and instead embeds the sensor under the bezel area of a smartphone's display glass.
The new buttonless fingerprint sensor offers both smartphone manufacturers and consumers some tangible benefits. For smartphone manufacturers, this means more freedom when it comes to design. Needing no buttons, the new sensor will be "invisible" on the outside. The buttonless fingerprint module will also help improve a device's user-friendliness. Because the fingerprint sensor is located under a strong and durable glass cover, consumers will have less worries of the component getting wet or damaged from scratches.
In addition, LG Innotek claims the new sensor is more accurate than the button type fingerprint sensors. The company says the new module has a false acceptance rate of 0.002 percent. False acceptance rate is the probability of the system falsely recognizing biometric information of another person as that of the user. There might also be a slight difference in the speed of recognition, though it would still be "as good as the button varieties," according to The Verge.
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"We are concentrating on all our resources to the development of the differentiated technology based on the creation of customer values," Changhwan Kim, Head of the company's R&D Center said. "We will continue to provide convenient, safe, and pleasant user experiences by launching innovative product."
LG Innotek's buttonless fingerprint sensor isn't the first to be announced. Previously, Qualcomm and Synaptics unveiled similar components last year. However, it is hoped that LG will be able to bring the concept into the mainstream.
"The new module is expected to drastically reduce any smartphone malfunctions, as it does not require a specific button for fingerprint recognition," an LG Innotek spokesperson told The Korean Times. "We are in talks with some handset manufacturers to commercialize the new modules within the year."
