China’s Vivo unveils first display-based fingerprint scanning phone

Chinese smartphone maker Vivo has introduced the world’s first handset where users can unlock the device with a fingerprint scan on the screen, a move seen as the Android-based phone industry’s answer to Apple’s Face ID technology on iPhone X models as vendors eliminate home buttons to make way for bigger displays.

The Shenzhen-based company, which showcased the phone at CES in Las Vegas on Tuesday, said it will start shipping production models in the first half of 2018, without providing further details.

A new listing spotted on China’s 3C certification website revealed that Vivo is about to introduce a new handset called Vivo X20Plus UD – an upgraded version of its flagship X20 models launched in September 2017. Vivo X20 was also the company’s first full-screen smartphone.

The on-screen fingerprint feature is likely to see other Android phones follow suit as most major smartphone brands, including China’s Huawei, Oppo and Xiaomi, have eliminated the physical button to introduce so-called 18:9 full screens to meet demand for larger displays.

However, the unlock feature has been a challenge for vendors, with Huawei’s flagship Mate 10 Pro putting the fingerprint sensor on the back of the handset in a compromised decision.

“Some brands like Samsung have featured iris recognition technology on certain phone models but user acceptance is low. If the in-display fingerprint sensor can prove accurate and efficient, most Android phone makers are expected to follow suit,” said Zhao Ziming, a senior analyst at Beijing-based consultancy Cyzone.