The Galaxy S11's fingerprint scanner might crush the Galaxy S10's
The Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ launched earlier this year as the world’s first smartphones with in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanners. This feature has since been adopted by the Galaxy Note 10 and now one report suggests next year’s Galaxy S11 may follow suit, albeit with some improvements to the setup.
It’ll be harder to miss the in-display fingerprint scanner
Industry sources speaking to The Elec (via SamMobile) earlier this month revealed Samsung is currently in discussions with a range of suppliers about the Galaxy S11 lineup. These include Taiwan-based GIS who produces in-display modules based on the sensors it receives from Qualcomm.
According to the report, Samsung’s main focus at the moment with regards to the fingerprint sensor is increasing the Active Area Dimension (AAD), which is the area of display that can recognize a fingerprint. The AAD on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 measures in at 36 square millimeters but on 2020’s Galaxy S11 it could increase dramatically to 64 square millimeters. This means the entire fingerprint scanning process should be much more convenient because it’ll be harder to miss the sweet spot.
As the sources speaking to The Elec confirmed, smartphones will eventually feature fingerprint scanners that cover the majority of the display. Supplier GIS already has a prototype with an AAD of 600 square millimeters and it may enter production within the next few of years.
The Galaxy S11 series should also introduce big camera improvements
The Galaxy S11 is largely expected to build upon the design language introduced by this year’s Galaxy S10 series. Coupled with the larger fingerprint scanner should be an upgraded Infinity-O display which boasts slimmer side bezels, a thinner forehead, and a reduced chin. Additionally, to help make the selfie cameras less noticeably, the punch hole may shrink a little.
It’s unclear at this stage if Samsung has any design changes planned for the rear, but regardless of what happens, the setup should include extra cameras. Specifically, the Galaxy S11 and Galaxy S11+ will reportedly inherit Time-of-Flight sensors while the Galaxy S11e may gain access to a third telephoto zoom camera just like its premium siblings.
The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G has four cameras
Samsung Galaxy S11 announcement and release date
The Samsung Galaxy S11 series is expected to debut in late February at a standalone Unpacked event. If Samsung continues with its 2019 schedule, the announcement may take place on Wednesday, February 19. Pre-orders will likely begin on Friday, February 21 ahead of shipments on Friday, March 6.