eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
Samsung’s next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S 5, will fill feature a fingerprint sensor built into its home button, Sammobile reported Feb. 17, “confirming” the rumor. The information, it said, came from “insiders.”
According to the report, “The sensor itself works in a swipe manner, which means that you would need to swipe the entire pad of your finger, from base to tip, across the home key to register your fingerprint properly.”
It continued, “Also, you would need to keep your finger flat against the home key and swipe at a moderate speed or else it won’t recognize your fingerprint. The fingerprint sensor is sensitive to moisture, as well. So, don’t try to use it with wet fingers because it will, literally, give you an error and tell you to dry your fingers first.”
Users will be able to register up to eight fingers, the report added, but at least one finger must be registered to unlock the phone. As a user swipes his or her finger, the Galaxy S 5 will show a “real-time image of your fingerprint on the display.”
Additionally, users will be able to set up private folders and other content, such as widgets and apps, that will only be accessible with a finger swipe—or by unlocking the phone with a security PIN, said the report.
Using a PIN in lieu of a finger swipe is a method favored by users of the Apple iPhone 5 S who find that smartphone’s fingerprint reader completely useless.
Apple introduced the iPhone 5S and TouchID Sept. 10, 2013, saying the feature would enable users to log in more quickly. Instead, many users find themselves waiting on TouchID and then being directed to the PIN prompt.
Wired, in a Dec. 4, 2013, report on the trouble with TouchID, suggested that everything from cleanliness to the weather could be a factor.
“If your hands are too dry, it’s going to be difficult for your print to be recognized (this could be a problem in the dry winter months ahead),” said the report. “Conversely, if your fingers are too moist or oily, recognition can also fail, as those valleys [in your fingerprints] get filled. If the button gets dirty, as it likely will over time, you’ll also want to clean it to keep TouchID working. Apple suggests using a clean, lint-free cloth.”
It’s rumored that the Galaxy S 5 will also feature a 5.2-inch screen, a sharper display than the Galaxy S 4, a better camera and an improved battery, Bloomberg reported Feb. 18.
The report noted that in January, Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of mobile at Samsung, said in an interview that Samsung investigated using eye-scanning technology.
The Galaxy S 5, the report added, will be compatible with wearable devices, launch with an updated Galaxy Gear smartwatch and possibly be priced lower than the traditional $199 with a two-year contract.
Samsung has a press event, called Unpacked 5, planned for Feb. 24 at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain. On Samsung Mobile’s YouTube site, the news is posted alongside nine app icons that likely offer a hit as to the smartphone’s areas of focus: speed, outdoor, curiosity, fun, social, style, privacy, fitness and life.
Follow Michelle Maisto on Twitter.