Qualcomm today announced its next-generation fingerprint sensors for displays, metal, and glass. Qualcomm says it created the new sensors for today's demanding mobile designs, which are moving towards bezel-less, glass-and-metal hardware. All three new sensors work on waterproof hardware and the ultrasonic sensors can "see" through water and oil for underwater wake-and-authenticate. The new fingerprint sensors can detect heartbeats and blood flow, which help support finger swipes for directional gestures. The Display fingerprint sensor works through OLED displays up to 1200 ?m thick, supporting ultrasonic wake-up and authentication. The Glass fingerprint sensor works through displays and/or glass surfaces up to 800 ?m thick with capacitive wake-up and authentication. The Metal & Glass sensor supports ultrasonic wake-up through glass as thick as 800 ?m and aluminum as thick as 650 ?m. This last sensor may not support authentication (fingerprint locks), but it can still be used to wake devices up as well as interact with on-screen elements via swiping finger gestures. Qualcomm said these sensors were designed with the Snapdragon 630 and 660 processors in mind, though they will work with most Snapdragon 800, 600, and 400 series mobile platforms. The three sensors are expected to sample starting in July, with the first devices arriving during the first half of 2018.


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