Samsung Galaxy S10 to ditch iris scanner for an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor

Samsung isn't expected to launch its next Galaxy flagship until the beginning of next year but the leaks keep coming. The latest report suggests that Samsung will ditch the iris-scanner that we've seen feature over the past couple of years for an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner.[caption id="attachment_4254101" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

A model demonstrates iris recognition function of Galaxy Note 7. Reuters[/caption]As per a report by GizBot, tipster Ice Universe took to his Twitter account to suggest that Samsung might completely drop the iris scanner which the company first introduced with the Galaxy S8. Instead, as expected for a while now, Samsung is expected to debut its ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor. The tweets also suggest that Samsung will cover almost 30 percent of the display on the S10 with the fingerprint scanner. This will result in a much larger area spread across the display to place your finger on.

What makes ultrasonic sensor unique in comparison to the in-display scanners seen on Vivo and Oppo phones is the fact that the latter uses optical sensors. The ultrasonic sensor detects the user's fingerprint by sending an ultrasonic pulse against the finger to map the pores and ridges. In comparison, optical fingerprint sensors use light to illuminate the pores and ridges on your finger and make a map.Ultrasonic fingerprint readers are more accurate and comparatively faster as sound can map an in-depth 3D map of your fingerprint while optical sensors can only make a 2D scan of your fingerprints. Dirty and sweaty fingers are a further nuisance for optical sensors. The in-display fingerprint readers on the Vivo X21 and Vivo NEX use optical sensors, while that on the recently launched OnePlus 6T is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.However, if Samsung does manage to increase the area covered by the scanner to 30 percent, it will make a world of a difference when it comes to ease of use.