Samsung Galaxy S9 To Reportedly Retain S8 Display Size, Adopt In-Display Fingerprint Sensor

The Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ have only been out the for just a few months, but talk is already heating up with regards to its successor. In this case, we’re talking about the Galaxy S9.

A new report suggests that the Galaxy S9 will debut early next year with the same display sizes currently found on the Galaxy S8. That revelation isn’t too surprising given that the S8 was a rather thorough remake of the Galaxy design aesthetic with its bezel-free Infinity Display. Available in 5.8- and 6.2-inch sizes, the Infinity Display is incredibly dense, with a resolution of 2960x1440, and is generally regarded as one of the best screens in the mobile business.

Where Samsung will change things up a bit is with what is embedded in that display. Samsung reportedly looked to adopt the Synaptics Natural ID FS9100 optical fingerprint sensor within the display of the Galaxy S8. This would have allowed users to unlock their device or perform Samsung Pay transactions by touching an area on the display rather than a dedicated home button on the front of the device. However, alleged delays by Synaptics forced Samsung to relocate the fingerprint sensor to the rear of the Galaxy S8 and S8+.

This time around, however, Samsung has another solution that it could adopt; this time from Qualcomm. Qualcomm announced earlier this month that it is developing fingerprint sensors that can be read through metal, glass, or a device’s display. Qualcomm will begin sampling the sensor that can be embedded into display during Q4 2017. It is widely reported that arch-rival Apple will be among the first to incorporate a fingerprint reader (Touch ID) into the display of the upcoming iPhone 8.

As we reported in early April, development is already well underway on the Galaxy S9. “Since late last month, a display team for the S9 has started the development work with aims to supply samples from mid-April,” said an anonymous source within Samsung at the time. “About a month after the display, other key parts such as modules are expected to be developed in phases.”

Although the in-display fingerprint sensor is pretty much a given at this point, other aspects of the device are a relative unknown at this point. However, it’s highly likely that the phone will adopt a dual-camera setup, which is expected for the upcoming Galaxy Note 8.