ABI Research's Teardowns Service Finds First Hidden Under-Display Fingerprint Sensor Bites into Apple's Face Recognition Technology

DRIPPING SPRINGS, Texas, April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- What makes the Vivo X20 Plus UD smartphone so important is that it is the first smartphone to use Synaptics' under-display fingerprint sensor, and it has the potential to bite into Apple's face recognition technology, announced the Teardowns service of ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies.

Traditional fingerprint sensors are either embedded under the home key on the front of the mobile phone or on the back of the phone. Placing the fingerprint sensor under the display on the front of the mobile phone should allow for a borderless display on three sides of the display. The top still requires room for the front camera, proximity sensor, and receiver, etc. However, Vivo did not take full advantage of the new fingerprint technology from Synaptics. Vivo retained a significant border below the display along the bottom of the phone.

"Vivo may have been cautious to fully commit to the new technology and left room to fall back to a traditional sensor below the display," said Jim Mielke, ABI Research's vice president of the Teardowns service. "The performance of this first implementation does warrant some caution as the sensor seemed less responsive and required increased pressure to unlock the phone."  

Smartphone manufacturers are continually trying to achieve the truly borderless phone, and currently there are only three ways to achieve and still maintain biometric security: fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone, fingerprint sensor under the display, and facial/retina-based recognition. Despite the non-optimal capabilities, the Vivo X20 Plus UD is well ahead of Apple's face recognition technology.

"Face recognition on smartphones is five times easier to spoof than fingerprint recognition," stated ABI Research Industry Analyst Dimitrios Pavlakis ("Executive Foresights: Did Apple Miss the Bus – The Display – Integrated Fingerprint Sensor Gives the Industry a Much-Needed Push"). "Despite the decision to forgo its trademark sapphire sensor in the iPhone X in favor of face recognition (FaceID,) Apple may be now forced to return to fingerprints in the next iPhone," added Pavlakis.

Fingerprint sensors are increasingly becoming more relevant with a host of new banking, financial institution and payment service providers getting behind the technology.

Vivo, a 9-year-old company based in China, was smart to partner with California-based Synaptics, which has 30-plus years of experience in the "human interface revolution" by offering touch, display and biometrics products.

ABI Research's Teardowns reports feature ultra-high-resolution imaging, pinpoint power measurements, detailed parts list with fully costed BOMs (bill of materials), block diagrams and x-rays. ABI Research performs the highest resolution imagery in the teardown industry, providing unprecedented competitive analysis on components, cost, and chip system functionality.

About ABI Research

ABI Research provides strategic guidance for visionaries needing market foresight on the most compelling transformative technologies, which reshape workforces, identify holes in a market, create new business models and drive new revenue streams. ABI's own research visionaries take stances early on those technologies, publishing groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms. ABI analysts deliver their conclusions and recommendations in easily and quickly absorbed formats to ensure proper context. Our analysts strategically guide visionaries to take action now and inspire their business to realize a bigger picture. For more information about ABI Research's forecasting, consulting and teardown services, visionaries can contact us at +1.516.624.2500 in the Americas, +44.203.326.0140 in Europe, +65.6592.0290 in Asia-Pacific or visit www.abiresearch.com.

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SOURCE ABI Research