The rivalry between Samsung and Apple has been going on for a long time. Ever since the first touchscreen phones, both companies were pushing their limits to create a more powerful and more original smartphone. In fact, both companies are suing each other over intellectual property, as Apple accused Samsung of copying its original patents. The rivalry between the two tech giants over innovation is definitely growing stronger, so is the new Galaxy S9 copying iPhone X?
Galaxy S9 copying iPhone X?
As you may remember, a while ago, when the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X hadn’t been announced yet, a report suggested that Apple’s next flagship would utilize a fingerprint sensor that would be built under the display. However, now that the iPhone X is out, and even before it was announced, we knew that Apple didn’t intend to place a fingerprint sensor under the screen. Instead, the company introduced a new recognition system called Face ID, which uses Apple’s TrueDepth camera to detect facial features. This new technology replaced the Touch ID. That being said, the fingerprint sensor built under the display was out of the picture.
A lot of Apple’s competitors actually got fooled by the rumors suggesting that the new iPhone would sport a new fingerprint sensor. Also, one of the companies that fell foul to those rumors is Samsung. The company may have worked to implement the fingerprint sensor under the display of the upcoming Galaxy S9. However, according to The Investor, Samsung doesn’t have the new technology ready for its Galaxy S9 launch in early 2018. But, on the other hand, the Galaxy Note 9 could be the smartphone utilizing this new technology. That being said, a scenario that has the Galaxy S9 copying iPhone X is unlikely to happen now that the Galaxy S9 will likely keep the fingerprint sensor on its rear.
The Investor, a South Korean news site, reports that Samsung decided that due to continued technical difficulties in finding a solution to embeding the new fingerprint recognition technology in the upcoming Galaxy S9’s screen, Samsung is likely going to keep its fingerprint scanner located on the rear of the smartphone, the same as the models from previous years. Both the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ are to keep the fingerprint sensor in the rear.
Reports suggest that Samsung completed the hardware specifications of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ and is preparing to start the mass production of both devices in December. It is worth mentioning that the pilot production began in October.
It is no secret that Samsung spent the last few years trying to add the in-display fingerprint scanner to its flagship smartphones. Unfortunately, each time, the company failed in its attempts due to persistent technical difficulties. As you may remember, reports claiming that Apple had successfully embedded the fingerprint scanner into the screen of the iPhone 8 could have encouraged Samsung to do the same for its Galaxy S9 series. However, neither the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or iPhone X sport an in-screen fingerprint sensor, leading to speculations about Galaxy S9 copying iPhone X, perhaps using facial recognition instead of a fingerprint sensor.
Samsung is mainly finding difficulties in installing the in-screen fingerprint sensor due to new models sporting thin bezels on the screen, with a larger display-to-body ratio. Samsung is finding it difficult to find an ideal place for installing modules and sensors, which will be used for the fingerprint sensor of a device. This doesn’t mean that Samsung’s flagship won’t use the bio-metric technology in the future. It is believed that Samsung will use the in-display fingerprint sensor technology on its Galaxy Note 9, which is likely to come out in the second half of next year, an industry watcher told The Investor.
“Samsung won’t get rid of fingerprint sensors in its handsets, as there many services and platforms run based on the technology.”
That being said, Samsung is reportedly working on a fingerprint sensor under the screen of the Galaxy Note 9, that will likely be announced in August. The smartphone’s development is code-named the “crown.”
It doesn’t hurt to mention that the Chinese leaker, Ice Universe, said on Weibo that the upcoming Samsung’s flagships Galaxy S9, S9+, and Galaxy Note 9 will sport the same sizes as their predecessor. It is expected that the front design of the smartphones won’t change much. Other rumors from the same leaker said that Samsung will sport a new design for the rear of the smartphones. The Galaxy Note 8 was the first flagship smartphone from Samsung to sport a dual-lens camera system. This is a good reason to believe that the Galaxy S9 will also boast a dual-lens camera. That could possibly move the fingerprint sensor of the smartphone toward the bottom of the phone’s rear, which backs up the leaker’s rumors that the rear of the Galaxy S9 “will change a lot.”
Nevertheless, do you see potential for the Galaxy S9 copying iPhone X?