Galaxy Note9 will not have a fingerprint reader under its display, KGI now claims

When Samsung published this patent on fingerprint readers under a display, it seemed like the Galaxy S9 may get one. It didn’t, so rumors moved on to the Galaxy Note9. Even the reliable Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI predicted that the 2018 Note will finally pull it off. Then new rumors suggested otherwise.

Kuo has changed his stance and now agrees with the rumors. Samsung allegedly canceled this feature because neither the ultrasonic reader (by Qualcomm) nor the optical reader (by Samsung LSI, Synaptics and others) failed to meet the company’s technical requirements.

Even so, KGI is confident that Samsung will get it right eventually. Its analysts do not believe that face scanning can replace fingerprint authentication, so a reader is vital for future full-screen designs.

It’s not just Samsung, companies that make such sensors would love to see them come to market – since the modules will be 4-6 times more expensive than the common capacitive sensors we see today.

Kuo still believes that Android makers (other than Samsung) will prefer face scanning over under display fingerprint readers. According to him, in the next couple of years, more Androids will ship with a face scanner than with an under display fingerprint reader.

Meanwhile, vivo claims it will soon start mass manufacturing its APEX concept phone later this year.