Vivo outpaced Apple – with under-display fingerprint scanner

The first demos of an under-display fingerprint scanning technology did not come from Apple, but from China. The fingerprint scanning will not be carried out by an independent button or region. It will be realized more subtly under the screen, behind the metal shell, or even in the frame.

Vivo presented its latest ultrasonic fingerprint solution at MWC Shanghai. Next to the new OLED display, the usability is much better than before. It’s working fine even when the device is under water, and it can tolerate sweat and dirt on the skin as well. The devices also work underneath metal and glass. Vivo Under Display is a new fingerprint unlocking solution based on Qualcomm® Fingerprint Sensors. Unlock the future!

The demo started off with a familiar fingerprint registration process, where you have to place your finger on a marked area on the screen, which was just above the old fingerprint button. Once done, you were able to unlock the phone by touching that same spot using your registered finger.

A new technical wonder device

The company applied the same ultrasonic tech with a metallic body, thus allowing the phone to be unlocked in water. This unlock method could be associated with the camera app, this is for those moments when you want to take underwater photos or videos while in shallow water.

Besides this very handy solution, other companies have solved this use case with a physical shutter button (Sony) or squeeze detection (HTC).

Anyway, with the release of Vivo Under Display Fingerprint Scanning Solution, a real full screen display is to be expected in the near future!

Although numerous recent news reports state that an under-display fingerprint technology will be released shortly, this is the first time that it has been demonstrated by a smartphone manufacturer. So Apple: Better watch out!