The world\u2019s most popular computing device to access the Internet has evolved at breakneck pace. Through the crucible of competition and innovation, smartphones have powered the likes of e-commerce, social media, online banking and search, and created massive revenues for components suppliers from Sony to Snapdragon.<\/p>\n
The now common touch screen has made smartphones accessible while biometrics have secured this accessibility. The public\u2019s knowledge of biometrics may remain patchy, but Apple\u2019s Face ID and Android\u2019s fingerprint biometrics are arguably the most ubiquitous implementations of the technology.<\/p>\n
Synaptics and Qualcomm strategically partnered as OLED screens have made their way onto smartphones. Qualcomm\u2019s 3D Sonic Gen 2 ultrasonic fingerprint sensor provides native biometric authentication in the Google Pixel 9<\/a> and 10<\/a> and Samsung Galaxy<\/a> smartphones.<\/p>\n Using ultrasonic (sound) pulses to map the ridges and valleys of a user\u2019s fingerprint, these biometric scanners allow under-OLED-display fingerprint authentication at lightning speed with better performance against moisture or dirt compared to older optical sensors.<\/p>\n Goodix<\/a> is dominant in terms of volume with its cost-effective optical biometric sensors, while it has also developed ultrasonic fingerprint sensors. Its components feature in the new Samsung multi-folding phone. However, ultrasonic fingerprint sensors are still somewhat hit-and-miss as users must align their finger with the rectangular middle of the screen.<\/p>\n This is where Next Biometrics<\/a> is betting part of its future.<\/p>\n Next has partnered<\/a> with Taiwanese firm Giantplus Technology to develop a prototype for full-screen fingerprint biometric authentication. It follows a U.S. patent approval secured in November<\/a> for a way to enable authentication across an entire screen using innovations in fingerprint biometric sensing.<\/p>\n Next and Giantplus are collaborating to commercialize \u201canywhere-on-display\u201d biometric technology with a view to showcase a prototype at Mobile World Congress 2027, the world\u2019s largest mobile phone trade show.<\/p>\n Giantplus<\/a>, which specializes in small and medium-sized display panels, will provide expertise in display integration as Next pursues its goal of embedding biometric fingerprint sensors across the entire smartphone screen surface.<\/p>\n Device security and biometrics \u2014 do consumers care?<\/p>\n Smartphones constitute major user interfaces for e-commerce, banking and payments, while\u00a0 increasingly a core part of digital identity systems worldwide. It\u2019s fair to say smartphones are the key to a mass of personal information and data. \u201cSecurity is absolutely important to consumers,\u201d says Avi Greengart, lead analyst at Techsponential<\/a>, which specializes in consumer technology.<\/p>\n Speaking to Biometric Update, Greengart notes that Apple has built entire ad campaigns on its privacy features, while Samsung highlights its security platform Knox. Security is an integral part of a brand\u2019s values but the technology has to be bullet proof or as close as can be.<\/p>\n \u201cApple and Samsung are security and biometric leaders but they have to secure supplies in such enormous volumes \u2014 and they have their brands to protect \u2014 that they tend to be more cautious about taking a flyer on something new they don\u2019t control.\u201d<\/p>\n Runar Bjorhovde, senior analyst for smartphones and connected devices at tech-focused research firm Omdia<\/a>, emphasizes that consumers care when something doesn\u2019t work properly or as seamlessly as they\u2019d like.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom a consumer perspective, security is a very important but tricky component for vendors to position,\u201d he tells Biometric Update. \u201cWhile research suggests security and privacy are things consumers rank highly, they\u2019re often unwilling to pay that much more for it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s an issue [with security], it\u2019s a major problem. Because of this, it\u2019s something where vendors invest considerably to make sure they\u2019re very well prepared for when their customers have an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Apple\u2019s Face ID offers less friction than fingerprints, Greengart notes, but costs more in terms of components and the space it takes up. iPhones have had a black cut-out for years while Android phones tend to be more all-screen affairs. These biometrics secure devices, but it\u2019s telling that from a consumer point of view, usability and convenience usually takes precedence. For business, it\u2019s a different story.<\/p>\n \u201cA decent share of smartphones sold worldwide are used by companies, and it is of high strategic importance to many vendors worldwide,\u201d says Bjorhovde. \u201cIt can be a more difficult sale but can be at large scale and often with software and services attached.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a segment where security and compliance are absolutely necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n Phone thefts and fraud are so everyday that Google has built features into Android where a phone will lock if its sensors such as the accelerometer and gyroscope detect the motion of a phone being snatched out of someone\u2019s hands.<\/p>\n In a sign of this burgeoning sector, Californian start-up MagicCube<\/a> recently secured $10 million<\/a>, with Verifone among its backers, to accelerate its push beyond tap-to-phone payments and into biometrics, identity verification and AI-driven device security.<\/p>\n Disruption! The cutting edge of smartphones is foldables<\/p>\n Ulf Ritsvall, Next Biometrics\u2019 CEO, commented that anywhere-on-display authentication is a \u201clong-sought-after innovation\u201d following the announcement of the partnership with Giantplus.<\/p>\n The Norwegian company has raised a loan just shy of a million dollars to support ongoing product development. While Next Biometrics is small compared to its rivals such as Qualcomm, the tech industry is littered with stories of smaller companies exploding in size (Nvidia being the most recent and high-profile example) when they hit on a successful product or solution.<\/p>\n Next is explicitly targeting anywhere-on-display functionality, meaning the entire screen could act as a fingerprint sensor. This may not mean much until you consider the rise of foldables.<\/p>\n While foldable feature phones were once desirable, their re-emergence in the smartphone era has captured attention, especially the latest models such as the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold<\/a>. The Samsung foldable drew headlines for its ability to fold not once but twice, creating a huge tablet-like screen, and for its gargantuan price. Goodix revealed that its main and sub touchscreen controllers and side\u2011key capacitive fingerprint biometric sensors are installed in the Galaxy Z TriFold.<\/p>\n With the hotly rumored folding iPhone forthcoming from Apple, the category could be the next big thing. The so-called \u201ciPhone Fold\u201d is also tipped not to include Face ID but instead use Touch ID, reports Tom\u2019s Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bjorhovde observes the \u201cdisruption\u201d enabled by advanced display technologies, with the evolution in form factors \u2014 flip, fold, tri-fold, front and back displays. Samsung, Google, Huawei, Oppo, OnePlus, Xiaomi and Motorola have released models in these shiny new form factors.<\/p>\n \u201cCreating a more flexible and intuitive device that might be much easier to use for all users, such as elderly users or users with motor impairments could be some of the key benefits [of the new all-display technology],\u201d says Bjorhovde.<\/p>\n \u201cAnything that makes it more convenient to lock and unlock your phone will benefit consumers by making it more likely that they will use more secure biometric methods,\u201d says Greengart.<\/p>\n However, there are potential drawbacks. Engineering and cost are major obstacles. \u201cPower drain, costs and display quality remain among the biggest areas of concern for vendors,\u201d says Bjorhovde.<\/p>\n A large part of the consumer tech story is one of engineering and cost, not to mention marketing (something Biometric Update will explore in a future article) \u2014 but Ritsvall revealed last April that Next had signed an NDA with a \u201csmartphone leader\u201d and that industry players had shown \u201csubstantial interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Next faces the challenge of proving manufacture at scale and cost efficiency, yield and reliability. If it does gain a breakthrough, however, it could be a game changer.<\/p>\n Authenticating a finger on the edge of a screen, or anywhere you touch it, might not sound like much \u2014 but with the vast number of touchscreen devices that exist in the world, such small touches could mean a big biometrics advancement.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tArticle Topics<\/p>\n consumer electronics<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 fingerprint biometrics<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 fingerprint sensors<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 full-screen fingerprint authentication<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 Giantplus Technology<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 mobile biometrics<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 Next Biometrics<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 smartphones<\/a> \u00a0|\u00a0 ultrasonic fingerprints<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tLatest Biometrics News<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJan 22, 2026, 3:47 pm EST\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n As lawmakers race to avert a government shutdown ahead of the January 30 funding deadline, negotiators have released the FY\u2026<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJan 22, 2026, 3:27 pm EST\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n As the UK manages digital transformation across the public sector, it has become clear that a deep vein of distrust\u2026<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJan 22, 2026, 3:06 pm EST\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n According to GamblingIQ\u2019s 2026 \u201cDefenders of Trust\u201d industry report, the gambling sector has been the number one target for fraudsters\u2026<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJan 22, 2026, 2:50 pm EST\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Automated security cameras and facial recognition are growing presences in UK shops as a theft prevention measure, with Tesco announcing\u2026<\/p>\n
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