Android makers shift focus from under-display fingerprint readers to 3D sensing after iPho...
According to well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Android hardware makers have turned their attention away from under-display fingerprint readers and toward 3D sensing technologies like those Apple debuted with iPhone X, a flip-flop designed to capture customer sentiment.
Kuo in a report seen by AppleInsider says inquiries into potential 3D sensing solutions from Android brand vendors have at least tripled since Apple unveiled its TrueDepth camera system and Face ID in September.
Prior to the announcement of iPhone X, the Android camp was focused on delivering incremental advancements in optical fingerprint recognition technology, namely systems capable of operating through a device screen. Apple, too, was rumored to be working on its own sub-screen Touch ID solution, though the company ultimately opted for facial recognition with Face ID.
Rumors leading up to September's iPhone event suggested Apple chose to integrate a standalone 3D sensing system only after it ran into technical issues with an embedded Touch ID system. Reports later claimed the company has been "all-in" on Face ID replacing Touch ID for over a year.
In any case, Android makers are looking to cash in on the high gross margins a revolutionary experience like 3D sensing can fetch, Kuo says. Compared to facial recognition, notably facial recognition of the variety introduced by Apple, traditional capacitive sensing systems are now seen as mere spec upgrades.
"3D sensing not only enables facial recognition in security applications and allows users to create fun expressions like Apple's Animoji, on a more important level, it is a key factor in the development of AR," Kuo writes. "We therefore believe brand vendors are willing to spend more for related components."
To that end, smartphone makers working with Google's operating system are likely to turn to 3D sensing products from Qualcomm and Himax, Orbbec, and Mantis Vision. The Qualcomm-Himax solution is attracting the most attention as the system is more mature than those offered by other component manufacturers.
With smartphone brands moving away from fingerprint biometrics and toward 3D sensing, Kuo expects yearly shipments of Android devices equipped with 3D sensing components to outnumber those with under-display optical recognition by two or three times over the next two to three years.
In addition to increased interest, the dramatic proliferation of 3D sensing technology will in large part be driven by its compatibility with LCD screens. As Kuo explains, under-display fingerprint recognition systems are for the most part exclusive to OLED panels. As that market is dominated by Samsung, availability of OLED components will remain capped.
In a separate note, Kuo says Samsung has decided to integrate a compact image sensor (CIS) design instead of a "CIS+independent light emitter" arrangement for a sub-screen fingerprint solution set to debut in its Galaxy Note 9, due out in the second half of 2018.
Unlike Chinese OEMs that use rigid OLED panels, which in turn require a "CIS+independent light emitter" system to facilitate fingerprint solutions, Samsung manufactures its own flexible OLED displays and can customize their hardware to suit CIS-only designs. As such, companies looking to integrate under-display optical fingerprint recognition systems in their products will have to rely on suppliers like Synaptics and Goodix.
Kuo in a report seen by AppleInsider says inquiries into potential 3D sensing solutions from Android brand vendors have at least tripled since Apple unveiled its TrueDepth camera system and Face ID in September.
Prior to the announcement of iPhone X, the Android camp was focused on delivering incremental advancements in optical fingerprint recognition technology, namely systems capable of operating through a device screen. Apple, too, was rumored to be working on its own sub-screen Touch ID solution, though the company ultimately opted for facial recognition with Face ID.
Rumors leading up to September's iPhone event suggested Apple chose to integrate a standalone 3D sensing system only after it ran into technical issues with an embedded Touch ID system. Reports later claimed the company has been "all-in" on Face ID replacing Touch ID for over a year.
In any case, Android makers are looking to cash in on the high gross margins a revolutionary experience like 3D sensing can fetch, Kuo says. Compared to facial recognition, notably facial recognition of the variety introduced by Apple, traditional capacitive sensing systems are now seen as mere spec upgrades.
"3D sensing not only enables facial recognition in security applications and allows users to create fun expressions like Apple's Animoji, on a more important level, it is a key factor in the development of AR," Kuo writes. "We therefore believe brand vendors are willing to spend more for related components."
To that end, smartphone makers working with Google's operating system are likely to turn to 3D sensing products from Qualcomm and Himax, Orbbec, and Mantis Vision. The Qualcomm-Himax solution is attracting the most attention as the system is more mature than those offered by other component manufacturers.
With smartphone brands moving away from fingerprint biometrics and toward 3D sensing, Kuo expects yearly shipments of Android devices equipped with 3D sensing components to outnumber those with under-display optical recognition by two or three times over the next two to three years.
In addition to increased interest, the dramatic proliferation of 3D sensing technology will in large part be driven by its compatibility with LCD screens. As Kuo explains, under-display fingerprint recognition systems are for the most part exclusive to OLED panels. As that market is dominated by Samsung, availability of OLED components will remain capped.
In a separate note, Kuo says Samsung has decided to integrate a compact image sensor (CIS) design instead of a "CIS+independent light emitter" arrangement for a sub-screen fingerprint solution set to debut in its Galaxy Note 9, due out in the second half of 2018.
Unlike Chinese OEMs that use rigid OLED panels, which in turn require a "CIS+independent light emitter" system to facilitate fingerprint solutions, Samsung manufactures its own flexible OLED displays and can customize their hardware to suit CIS-only designs. As such, companies looking to integrate under-display optical fingerprint recognition systems in their products will have to rely on suppliers like Synaptics and Goodix.
Comments
Qualcomm, on August 15th 2017, announced that their next generation Spectra ISP was going to have depth sensing capabilities and was to be integrated into flagship Snapdragon chips in 2018. So I don't see this coming as a surprise given it will be in the majority of Android flagships next year (of course, the OEMs still need to implement the required hardware).
Source: Qualcomm
Apple always makes a nice fat target for first hate then once the hate dies down, all the other smartphone makers jump onboard and follow Apple with only minimum fuss from the crappy critics. The idiots just don't get it. Things change in tech and some company has to be the first mover. I still believe most of the less-expensive smartphones will keep the touch sensor. Nothing wrong with using the fingerprint reader method. It works great but some know-it-all biatch will say it's outdated and all smartphones must use another method just to keep up with Apple. It seems as though Apple isn't allowed to do anything different without some chorus of boos and hisses being tossed in their direction.
Next android phones will have 3D facial recognition and the notch too...I’m almost certain.
Samsung is set to outdo Apple yet again!
They’re going to put the notch in the centre of the screen!
Copy Apple? My ass!
I'm hoping all the naysayers that live here will read your comment. Remember Steve Ballmer's keyboard snark over the iPhone when it was released. Following your explanation let's make a prediction about the much maligned "notch." When the competition puts the 3D cameras in and they have a notch too I wonder how much howling will go on then. Oh, and the headphone jack? I read a c|net review of the Pixel 2 and the absence of a headphone jack was dealt with in one sentence followed by "but it's waterproof."
A lot of people, like those who like the slow motion videos it supports.
I'd like to see Apple develop and deploy a restaurant handheld POS device (I know there are some) that uses Apple Pay Cash along with iBeacon or whatever else they can develop so people can pay at the table without giving the server their credit cards. (None of the restaurants in my area have anything close to this and places that have those weird tablet devices at the table are not something I would use.)
The comments and rationalizations why the 3.5mm analog headphone jack should never go away are amazing… and depressing… and pathetic.