At least one major phone in 2018 will have the key feature Apple had to drop for the iPhone X
- There's going to be at least one major flagship smartphone which features an in-display fingerprint scanner in 2018.
- Apple reportedly tried to ship this feature with the iPhone X but couldn't nail down the tech in time.
- Hardware maker Synaptics said its in-display scanners were already in "mass production" with one of the top five phone makers, but didn't specify which.
- This most likely means Samsung, Huawei, or Xiaomi.
It looks like at least one major flagship phone next year will have an in-display fingerprint scanner, a feature which Apple reportedly had to drop from the iPhone X.
Touchpad maker Synaptics has sent speculation to fever pitch after announcing its on-display fingerprint scanners were in mass-production with one of the top five phone manufacturers globally, though it didn't say which. This could mean Apple, Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi, or Oppo.
Synaptics also said the new phone would be ready to show off at CES, an annual tech conference which will take place in January.
Most flagship phones have a physical scanner which lets you unlock your phone with your fingerprint. But there are strong indications that more manufacturers want to put the fingerprint scanner inside the display - a technical feat Apple couldn't manage in time for the iPhone X's release this year.
It isn't obvious who Synaptics' customer is, but we can probably rule out Apple itself since a new, prototype iPhone wouldn't be ready for CES.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 is due for release in the second half of 2018, and will reportedly feature an in-display fingerprint scanner. And according to an October note from KGI Securities, Synaptics, Samsung-owned LSI, and BeyondEyes are all contenders to supply the sensor.
Synaptics' senior vice president and general manager for its mobile division, Kevin Barber, said: "Consumers prefer fingerprint authentication on the front of the phone, and with the industry quickly shifting to bezel-free OLED infinity displays, the natural placement of the fingerprint sensor is in the display itself."