Samsung to patch fingerprint issue, may launch under-display camera in 2020 smartphones

Oct 18, 2019 | Luana Pascu

Samsung to patch fingerprint issue, may launch under-display camera in 2020 smartphones

Future Samsung smartphones may include an under-display camera that could already be planned for integration with Samsung S11 or the Galaxy Fold 2 as early as next year, according to Android Central. Rumors in South Korea say the tech company has already began the manufacturing process for new display modules.

The camera will be built on the same technology used for hole-punch displays in the S10, but the new version will use “lasers to create a number of smaller holes in the display instead of one big aperture.” Samsung is struggling to solve a problem linked to the distortion of light as it goes through a transparent display placed on top of the holes, leaving a yellow tone and blurring the image.

Samsung might want to also take a closer look at its S10 after users reported a major flaw in the biometric fingerprint sensor that authorizes unknown fingerprints to unlock it.

“Engineered to be more secure than a traditional 2D optical scanner, the industry-first Ultrasonic Fingerprint ID, with sensors embedded in the display, reads the 3D contours of your physical fingerprint to keep your phone and data safe. This advanced biometric security technology earned the Galaxy S10 the world’s first FIDO Alliance Biometric Component certification,” the company boasted in March.

Although it was advertised to integrate the most secure biometric features, it appears an air gap in a cheap screen protector causes fingerprint recognition to malfunction.

Users have been advised to turn off the feature until fixed. Samsung says it will release a software patch soon to solve the issue.

“We are investigating this issue and will be deploying a software patch soon. We encourage any customers with questions or who need support downloading the latest software to contact us directly at 1-800-SAMSUNG,” Samsung commented to TechCrunch.

In March, Samsung confirmed there were some issues with the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor’s accuracy that prevented users from authenticating mobile payments if their thumbs were dry or presented scratches. Other reports warned its facial recognition can be easily spoofed.

Then in April, it was reported that the ultrasonic biometric fingerprint scanner on a Samsung Galaxy S10 was easily hacked with a 3D-printed copy of the phone owner’s thumbprint taken from a photograph of a latent print on a wine glass, because the sensor did not detect liveness. Samsung immediately released a patch to improve the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.