Despite launching a while back, Qualcomm’s 3D Sonic Max fingerprint sensor has yet to show up in any Samsung-branded smartphone for unknown reasons. Fortunately, 2023 might be the first time it gets employed on such a phone, as a rumor claims that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will ship with one.
A 3D Sonic Max Fingerprint Reader Will Increase the Authentication Surface Area, Making It Easier to Unlock the Galaxy S23 Ultra
Chinese manufacturers are quick to adopt the latest technologies, which is why Qualcomm’s 3D Sonic Max is found in flagships like the X80 Pro and iQOO 9 Pro, both of which belong to vivo. According to Alvin, a rumor is doing the rounds claiming that this security unit will be found in the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Having a 3D Sonic Max not only increases the surface area for users to authenticate, but the speed at which the lockscreen grants access to the home screen also increases. Qualcomm provides the following description of the 3D Sonic Max.
“Using sound waves to read two fingers simultaneously, our Qualcomm® 3D Sonic Max transmits an ultrasonic pulse against the fingers. The 3D pulse reflection creates a detailed 600mm2 reproduction of the scanned fingerprints for quick and higher security performance.”
The only logical explanation as to why Samsung has yet to use Qualcomm’s 3D Sonic Max on a flagship is increased manufacturing costs. The Korean manufacturer has incorporated an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, but we have yet to see a larger one on any of Samsung’s top-end models. In case you forgot, according to an agreement that Samsung and Qualcomm made in which all Galaxy S23 variants would ship with a Qualcomm chipset next year, perhaps an extra condition would have been shipping 3D Sonic Max sensors at a lower price.
That ‘extra’ condition was not a part of the agreement during Qualcomm’s earnings call, but it could be something both companies discussed at length without any prying eyes interfering. We hope to see a larger and faster fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S23 Ultra since it would eliminate the need to accurately place a registered fingerprint on a specific area of the screen. Let us hope the feature makes it to the final batch.
News Source: Alvin
