Qualcomm has just announced the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2, the latest version of its ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the display that appears to improve the original model in almost every way. The new version offers a larger surface area for the sensor and faster processing to unlock the phones even faster.
The company is making a big leap here: the new Gen 2 model measures 8 mm x 8 mm, compared to the 4 mm x 9 mm surface area of the first generation model, for 77 percent more surface area . In turn, this means that it will be easier to place your finger accurately on the sensor and allows the sensor to collect more data with each scan. By combining the larger sensor with faster processing, Qualcomm promises that scanning a fingerprint to unlock a phone will be 50% faster with the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22225984/3D_Sonic_Sensor_Gen_2.png)
Qualcomm’s first generation ultrasonic sensor – the 3D Sonic Sensor – made its debut in the Galaxy S10 phone line in 2018. At the time, almost all other screen readers used an optical scanner, which was considered slower and less reliable than than the new ultrasonic.
But the reality turned out to be the opposite: the first-generation 3D audible sensor had several problems, including a highly problematic security flaw that caused readers to unlock phones with almost any fingerprint when used with some screen savers. (Samsung would later fix the problem with a software update.) And the company recently released another patch for the Galaxy Note 20 line, addressing similar screen saver issues.
The new sensor is technically the third ultrasonic fingerprint reader under Qualcomm’s display, following the original 3D Sonic Sensor and 3D Sonic Max (introduced in 2019) – which was effectively just a much larger version of the first generation sensor, but was missing any real speed improvement. Although the 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 does not match the 3D Sonic Max sensor (which measures an impressive 20 mm x 30 mm) in size, the speed improvements should more than make up for it.
Qualcomm says that the first phones with the new 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 2 should be available in “early 2021”. The company does not mention a partner or a more specific time in its announcement, but it is important to note that Samsung is due to announce its latest Galaxy S21 devices on January 14. Samsung is Qualcomm’s largest customer of ultrasonic fingerprint readers to date, having used them previously on its S10, Note 10, S20 and Note 20 lines in the past two years.