I had two Samsung flagship phones, one (S20FE) had an optical fingerprint reader and the other (S22) had an ultrasonic one. Both of them somewhat regularly failed to read my finger, were slower than a fingerprint reader on the power button and are more expensive/complex to build. They won’t work with cheap 3rd party screen replacements and some screen protectors as well.
Meanwhile my $90 Android phone has a fingerprint reader on the power button. It never fails and I never have to perfectly place my finger on the sensor area to get it to work. It just seems like the perfect place to put a fingerprint sensor, so why do phone manufacturers keep using in-display fingerprint readers over the cheaper alternative?
I miss when it was on the back, right around where you put your finger when you pick up the phone.
The underscreen one is a major downgrade and I gotta fumble with it a few times to get it to work, usually.
Yessss. I had a Nexus 6P and the back fingerprint reader was amazing. Still probably the best phone I’ve had.
My underscreen one is excellent and works 99% of the time. That still leaves it significantly worse than rear fingerprint sensor. RIP the best unlock method.
Biggest thing I miss about the old Pixels was this because you could swipe it to pull the notifications bar down. It worked system wide so you could during a game or video just pop it down to check time or settings and just flick it away without moving your hand to the top of the phone.
Yo whaaat? I can still do that on my Note 20 ultra. That’s part of my workflow
It’s great. I also downloaded DigiLux so I can swipe left and right to change brightness as well.
I have a Google Pixel 5 and it’s in a great location for me. It’s right where my thumb generally rests.
This so much! And it’s eragonomic no matter which hand you use. My new phone has it on the power button and it’s just ok. I miss having a rear touch sensor.
The S9 had the fingerprint reader centered on the back. It was awesome.
Plus you could use it to drop down the notification window with a gesture. It was handy.
As did the Pixel 2. Still miss the back scanner
Nexus 6P / 5X all the way to Pixel 5 had it.
While I miss the rear scanner, I have had no issues with the under-display type in the 6/7/8. I see people online every time this topic comes up, screaming that it’s awful, but… cannot reproduce, ticket closed.
I think the answer might be ‘because of marketing’.
For me, I dislike both the power button AND the screen fingerprint reader. The power button because I like to access my lockscreen and not to be catapulted in the last app I was using ; the screen reader because it’s messy and oftentimes doesn’t work correctly. My newborn has been able to unlock my phone, multiple times…
What I really miss was the fingerprint reader on the back of the device. It was convenient, fast, precise and let me access the lock screen.
Yep, the pixel 4a was my favorite phone in recent history, largely because of the rear mounted fingerprint sensor.
I had a 3a and thought I loved the rear reader, but apparently I have my phone flat on a desk or in a stand often enough that I really do prefer the front reader
I can never get my 6 to read my print unless I hold it in my hand exactly right (and even then it’s hit or miss), so the stand or desk thing is irrelevant in my case.
Although the pixels specifically seems to be exceptionally bad compared to others. I absolutely hate it on my pixel 7 but my mom’s nothing phone seems to be much better but still not as fast/reliable as the dedicated sensor on the back or side.
Why not just tap the screen of your phone to see just the lock screen? It’s especially convenient my phone is sitting on my desk, just double tap
For my part, I don’t have all of my fingers scanned into the reader (Which is on the power button), so it’s easy to just use a different finger in the event that I want to access my lock screen specifically.
Optimal fingerprint reader placement is on the back of the phone. You can just pick it up slide your finger on it and boom on to the home screen. Just want to see the time? Just press the power button and see the lockscreen.
Agreed completely. I have an S23 rn, but my previous phone was a mid-tier android with a fingerprint reader on the back. My natural resting grip on my phone would just unlock the thing. It was amazing. My current phone is a clear upgrade in every way except the fingerprint reader. My new one has it in the screen and I fuckin hate it.
I’m mixed on this. I have had the S9 for 6ish years, since launch. I love that it’s on the back. except having to pick it up to unlock it lol. so 80% of the time it’s amazing, which I guess is good enough.
also, pro tip, add multiple finger prints, both thumbs, and index, etc. so you can unlock it in multiple grips and don’t need a single finger available to get in.
I deduce that your phone never randomly locks while you’re using it as a satnav. Lucky you.
My under the screen fingerprint sensor allows me to take out my phone from my pocket already unlocked. No button presses, no fiddling with finger placement on the back, it just works and is fastest.
IDK how you manage that since there’s no tactile feedback to know when your finger is in the right spot on the screen. I have to be very precise with mine so I have to look at it every time.
I don’t. I just pull it out of my pocket roughly in the middle by pinching with my pointing finger and thumb. Get an unlocked phone each time I get it out.
Must be a much better reader than on my Pixel6. Not very fucking impressed with that one.
I don’t know but I prefer fp sensors on the back of the phone because my fingerprint is also up there naturally.
Yes! I’m so sad they’ve moved away from this. I could pull out my phone AND unlock it in the same grab.
I can’t find a decent screen protector for my Galaxy S23, no matter how I try, and it’s all due to the damned in-display fingerprint reader. Any adhesive-style screen protector has an open area for the fingerprint reader, and it’s either a different material or a different thickness; they all look like shit. I’ve tried the screen protectors that use a UV-cured adhesive, and they’re messy, difficult to apply properly, and generally a pain in the ass.
I’ve relegated myself to not using a screen protector at all, but considering my pocket lint scratches my screen, it sucks.
Armorsuit protectors have worked well for me on s21 and s22 phones. Might be worth trying.
Power buttons are often covered by cases and, since they’re usually a weak spot for water proofing, it’s more effective to have a case that fully covers the button. In-screen readers (like what I have on my Samsung A71) tend to be good enough most of the time.
It really depends on the sensor tech. The fingerprint reader in my pixel 7 pro is absolute dogshit. I’ve heard the pixel 9 line improves things though.
Pixel 8 user here - the in-display fingerprint reader is fine, as long as my finger isn’t super dry (which happens regularly). So I’m regularly licking my finger to unlock the device like some boomer that’s used to doing it from turning pages in a book.
My dude, rub the side of your nose. Works great, no extra moisture.
Never fails on a 7 Pro
rub the side of your nose
I was itching!
Pretty much 🤣
My Pixel 6 never could read my right thumb, maybe 2% of the time. You know, the one used 99% of the time by a right handed person.
My Pixel 9 Pro Fold with the sensor in the power button has worked 99% of the time so far with all registered fingers in all manner of grips. Almost too good honestly, since it unlocks sometimes accidentally when picking it up.
That said, the rear sensor was still the best placement.
I have a Pixel 7 Pro and have never had an issue. I don’t have a screen protector on, if that makes a difference.
I have a soft-protector, the one you need to apply with a small spray of alcohol, and the fingerprint reader works just fine for me.
Specifically, this one
When I got the phone I also got one of the glass screen protectors, which was advertised as being extra thin for good touch sensitivity.
I shattered it trying to peel the plastic backing off, and never got around to getting a new one.
That one you linked looks like it would suit someone like me a bit better.
Not an expert but I’d suppose it’s nothing more than marketing getting in the way and insisting on an over engineered solution because it’s flashy
I had a power button fingerprint reader in the past (Moto G7 Plus) and it wasn’t great as I’m left-handed. My thumb ends up on the opposite side of the screen, so I had to use my index which isn’t ideal.
Remember kids, don’t use fingerprint to unlock your phone. Use a passcode. Cops can force your fingerprint if they want to look through your device, but they can’t force you to reveal a password
Android can be configured to require a pin after a reboot which is an ok compromise if you want to invoke the fifth amendment
Every android phone I’ve had that had a fingerprint reader required a pin/pattern on reboot by default
Most phones have an emergency lockdown that will require a passcode, fwiw.
It’s all a balance. I don’t want to punch in my PIN in front of everyone either.
Also put a pin on your SIM card so they can’t clone it.
Wow, that is the opposite of my experience. I have only had problems with the power button fingerprint readers. My last three phones have used in-display readers, and that has been so much more reliable for me.
I do still use my Pixel Tablet, which uses a power button fingerprint reader for some reason, and I am constantly fighting with it.
I like the side-mounted power button fingerprint reader on my S10e. It’s fast, it works, it’s in a location I can use with either hand since the phone isn’t the size of a gaming monitor.
The fingerprint sensor on the power button isn’t the main reason why I got my Fold 6 but it’s such a small thing that sweetens the deal a lot. I absolutely detest screen based fingerprint readers.
My Pixel 7 has the fingerprint reader behind the screen and it’s awful. Unless you’ve got the greasiest fingers of anyone who ever lived, it fails to log you in.
Instead the face recognition kicks in, and then fails when you try to make a payment, asking for your fingerprint again.
It’s fucking aggravating.
My crappy old Huawei thing has a separate panel for fingerprints and it never failed to work.
They said the same about the 6 but honestly it works pretty well for me most of the time.
Sorry, I have God fingers I guess. blessed by the finger maiden.
The fingerprint readers on the Pixel 6, 7, and 8 all fucking suck.
The pixels from 6 to 8 use an optical fingerprint scanner, and optical scanners almost universally suck, because they use a tiny camera to see your finger through the display on your phone. Most phones including the pixel 9’s include an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, which is more reliable, faster, doesn’t flashbang you in the dark, and has the potential to be much bigger (think lower half of the phone is the fingerprint scanner).
I haven’t had trouble with under display fingerprint scanners since I had my S23 (ultrasonjc), but my previous has an optical one and it was the worst thing I’d used.
I’ve used standalone optical readers before, and the ones that worked well had a slightly tacky rubbery-plastic layer on them, that I think helps with making the fingerprint stand out. Obviously can’t do that on a screen, because it’d be weird.
It’s much better to reach. I’ll never buy a phone again without finger print reader below the screen. On my S10 it’s also very reliable. It works 95 of 100 times and those 5 times my finger was just weird on the screen and not centered.
I loved the Pixel 4 I had with the reader on the back. My finger was already there when I picked up the phone, and it was way more accurate than the one on the screen of my 6.
Miss that phone, except for the nightmare charging port.
You could also swipe down on the reader to bring down the notification tray, I miss that fingerprint reader every day.
I will admit when I went to the Dark Side I was shocked by how much I like Face ID. I do miss having the in-screen fingerprint reader when I’m wearing a mask, SOMETIMES, but even that has improved in the time I’ve owned an iPhone.
But yeah, on my OnePlus 6T McLaren Edition and OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren Edition (damn I loved those phones so much) the in-screen reader was excellent.
I use my phone on 10% brightness, in a completely dark room often (every day, every morning, every night). Not sure about you, but I guess face-ID doesn’t work then.
In my experience iPhone FaceID works fine at night, with brightness all the way down. It shines infrared at you (you can vaguely see some light red emitting from next to the camera, some bleed from the infrared) and then captures that with the camera. It might also use LiDAR, I’m not totally sure. It even unlocks while I’m wearing my CPAP, believe it or not, because since the updates to make it work with masks it pays more attention to the area around the eyes.
11 pro and never had this problem. Screen dimmed to minimum and Night Shift turned on, it still unlocks just fine.
Ok, so how does this work with phone cases?
My phone’s case has a cutout for the power button.
But wouldn’t that let water and dirt inside the case, just like the camera cutouts? I already hate those
Unless you got a really cheap, or really old phone, it’s rated to handle that water and dirt exposure.
No more than the cutout for the camera does. Similar construction.
My case fits pretty snugly and neither hole is an issue.
For me, dirt and especially water getting into the case through the camera holes is definitely an issue, and my case also is tight.
