Why Dell chose NEXT Biometrics technology for next year’s notebooks, tablets

A recent report by ZDNet examines why Dell decided to go with NEXT Biometrics‘ thermal fingerprint sensors for its 2016 line of notebooks and tablets.

NEXT Biometrics says it is providing a minimum of 1.2 million patented fingerprint sensors to Dell.

By using thermal sensors instead of capacitive fingerprint sensors, NEXT’s technology registers the miniscule temperature differences within the features of a fingerprint. In contrast, capacitive fingerprint sensors use a radio frequency-based signal, in which it measures the signal-response differences between fingerprint features.

While both methods operate at pixel-level on the sensor, NEXT says that there is a strong correlation between the sensor’s size and security level and that more fingerprint details can be detected and compared in a larger surface area of the sensor. In other words, the more identification points that are found in the fingerprint, the better the basis of identification.

The company’s “full-size” sensors measure 11.9mm by 16.9mm (0.47 by 0.67 inches), resulting in a sensing area of approximately 201 square millimetres (7.91 square inches). In comparison, the fingerprint scanners used in Apple and Samsung smartphones offer sensing areas ranging from 30 to 45 square millimetres (1.18 to 1.77 square inches).

Additionally, NEXT’s fingerprint sensors are unique and can be manufactured “at a fraction of comparable competitor costs”, according to the company.

NEXT CEO Tore Etholm-Idsøe recently discussed the University of Madrid’s comprehensive comparative test analyzing the NEXT fingerprint sensor, in which it discovered that size is an integral part of the fingerprint sensor’s overall performance.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  Dell  |  fingerprint sensors  |  laptops  |  Next Biometrics