Rumor: Samsung Galaxy S6 to get iPhone-like fingerprint scanner, QHD display
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Apple may not have been the first to do fingerprint scanner on a phone, but they sure did do it the best. It looks like Samsung could finally be ditching their problematic implementation of the feature and going with one more iPhone-like, if the latest rumor from SamMobile is anything to go by.
According to them, Samsung will be switching to a touch-based fingerprint scanner in the Samsung Galaxy S6 over the swipe-based system they use now. The difference between the two is clear when you use them for yourself, but if you haven’t been able to bring yourself to try out an iPhone here’s the quick and dirty explanation:
- Swipe-based fingerprint scanners require you to do a swiping-based motion to register a fingerprint and unlock your phone. This is inconsistent not only in the way it initially registers your fingerprint, but also in attempts to unlock your phone afterward. Most people find they’ll need more than one try to get the swipe just right.
- Touch-based fingerprint scanners simply require you to place your thumb on the scanner and it will read the entire surface area of your finger. These scanners tend to be bigger in physical size so it can read more of your thumb at one time, thus making for a lot more reliable unlocking mechanism.
Need a visual example? Here’s Kevin explaining how to use the iPhone 5S fingerprint scanner (which Apple calls TouchID) for iSource:
Huawei decided to go this route for their phablet announced late last year, and thankfully Samsung seems to have caught on. SamMobile suggests Samsung will slightly increase the size of the home button to facilitate the implementation, so if you aren’t a fan of their home buttons then you’ll probably loathe the change. But if you are a fan of fingerprint sensors and felt like it was always a bit shoddy, this is what you want.
Something else we learned about the Samsung Galaxy S6 today is that it’ll be coming with a QHD display, which is 2560 x 1440 resolution. That much was leaked through a user agent profile found on Samsung’s site. It’s not a surprise considering they’re always looking to push the boundaries of display technology, but it’s nice to get some solid evidence and confirmation ahead of the big unveiling.
The Samsung Galaxy S6 is already sounding like a great step forward for the line. Previous rumors have suggested Samsung will go with a metal-clad design like the recent Galaxy A series, and that they will look to optimize TouchWiz in a way that’s more Nexus-like.
We’ll have to see if either of those rumors hold up, but if they do then this should already be the single biggest iteration in the Galaxy S line yet, and we can’t wait to see it.