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Synaptics makes available in-display fingerprint sensor to a 'top five' manufacturer

Long-time Apple supplier Synaptics has revealed its new fingerprint scanning technology, with the company claiming that it functions through "infinity displays" like that found in the Galaxy S8 and iPhone X.

The technology, called "Clear ID" delivers what the company calls "one-touch high-resolution scanning through full cover glass." In a release trumpeting the mass-production of the FS9500 family of sensors, Synaptics claims that Clear ID is twice as fast as 3D facial recognition and requires only one touch to access a smartphone.

Synaptics isn't specifying which facial recognition system that it addresses in the release about the new sensor.

The company's statement about the matter is fairly clear that the solution is widely adoptable to a number of manufacturers, should they so choose. Features offered to equipment manufacturers with the FS9500 include Quantum Matcher for fingerprint matching, PurePrint to examine fingerprint images, and SecureLink combining TLS with ECC authentication and AES encryption — all features handled by Apple's Secure Enclave and Touch ID subsystems.

The release is more about the fact that a "top five OEM" is partnering with the company, than the technology itself. At present it is not clear who Synaptics is referring to. Samsung is the largest OEM by volume, followed by Apple in volume at number two.

Synaptics supplies components for the iPhone touch screen. While there is no particular facility dedicated to the task currently known, analysts are seeing a "significant number" of engineers from the company now working at Apple.