A feature that we have seen on the Honor 8 and now the Google Pixel is the ability to swipe down on the fingerprint sensor to bring down the notification shade. While Google has confirmed that the gesture would not make its way to Nexus devices, a developer has made an application that will bring the feature to any phone running Android 6.0 or above with a fingerprint sensor.
A short while ago, Google revealed a new redesign for its mobile Play Store which, among other changes, would separate apps and entertainment content. From today, you could see that new design hit, and when it does, you won’t be able to miss it.
A few Googlers that worked on the new Nexus 5X and 6P have taken to Reddit today to answer questions about the new devices that officially went up for pre-order yesterday following Google’s press event. Among some of the info shared by the team: Google is working to officially support Band 12 for T-Mobile by launch time, something that would require it to support VoLTE, and it also clarified some details about the lack of Qi charging this time around and security for the new fingerprint sensor features.
In addition, Google confirmed its thought process behind the names for the new devices, noting that X in 5X is “for the core of the Nexus brand (plus it sounds cool!),” and that the P in 6P is for “premium”.
Head below for a roundup for the most interesting info from the Reddit AMA:
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A report from FireEye Labs (a security firm) reveals that some smartphones with fingerprint sensors aren’t as secure as we’d like them to be. The one device named specifically was the HTC One Max which was supposed to store fingerprint data in a secure enclave that no one could get to. Turns out, that wasn’t the case and any app could have potentially gained access to the fingerprint data and even recreated a bitmap image of the fingerprints stored. Thankfully, HTC fixed the gaping hole “in all regions” before the report went public.
FireEye shared images they managed to gain access to inside the HTC One Max, and cropped them to protect the identity of the owners. What you see to the left is just a small portion of someone’s fingerprint. Data obtained through the One Max’s supposedly ‘secure’ enclave. If there’s one small comfort to be taken from this, it’s that the HTC One Max isn’t the most popular phone around, and by now, it’s also relatively old. What’s more, HTC told The Verge that the flaw was only present in the HTC One Max, and doesn’t effect any of its other phones or devices.
While the One Max is the only device specifically named in the vulnerability report, the company does suggest devices from other manufacturers suffer(ed) with the same issue. What’s more, another issue present in a number of devices was a vulnerability which could potentially allow any app to interrupt the fingerprint scanning process as a user was using the sensor. If taken advantage of, this would see software with the ability to take fingerprint data as it’s being read, in real-time.
All devices mentioned (including the Galaxy S5) and others hinted at, have all be locked down since the vulnerability was discovered. When it comes to fingerprint data, we like to think that the information is being treated with paramount focus. Once someone gets your fingerprint data, there’s not a lot you can do about it. You can’t change it like a PIN, password or pattern.
Unlocking smartphones by fingerprint has been possible since the Motorola Atrix 2 back in 2011, with both Samsung and HTC embedding fingerprint sensors into some of their more recent models, but the process could get a whole lot slicker thanks to some new tech.
While current sensors need some space beneath the display, future smartphones could read your fingerprint through the screen. TNW reports that Sonovation has developed ultrasonic fingerprint sensors capable of 3D scanning from beneath the Gorilla Glass used on many high-end smartphones.
Though details on how it will work are sparse, Sonovation says its sensors are “capable of capturing fingerprint data into the ridges and valleys.” It also says 3D scanning can take place if a finger is wet, dirty or oily — all without compromising accuracy.
Google built fingerprint recognition into Android M, making it likely that we’ll see more Android devices launching with fingerprint sensors in future.
Image: PC Mag
https://vine.co/v/ebTvvF7577K
Earlier today, Google unveiled its highly anticipated Android M update. One of the highlight features of Android M is the support for standardized fingerprint recognition, which Google says developers will be able to take advantage of via new APIs in the operating system.
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Google is set to launch Android ‘M’ at Google I/O next week, and now a new report from BuzzFeed News suggests that the company will be launching native fingerprint authentication features with the new version…
Google’s new mobile operating system, Android M, will include native fingerprint authentication, BuzzFeed News has learned. The new functionality will allow users to log in to all of the supported applications on their Android devices without entering a password.
The report is very light on details, but it does note that users will be able to log in to “all supported applications” on their devices without entering a password. Unless there are some unforeseen circumstances, it seems we’ll be hearing more about the feature in just about a week…
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Citing “highly credible sources,” SamMobile reports that Samsung’s next-generation Galaxy S6 will have a touch-based fingerprint scanner for improved usage. Samsung has equipped several of its devices with fingerprint scanners in the past, dating back to the flagship Galaxy S5, but each has used swipe-based technology that often resulted in identification errors.
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The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is expected to be unveiled next week at IFA 2014 in Berlin, but as we inch closer to its official unveiling, more and more details continue to surface. Today, we’re hearing (via SamMobile) that the device will sport Synaptics’ Natural ID, which happens to be the same technology found on the Galaxy S5 and expected to be part of the Galaxy Alpha. Not only that, but the Note 4 will apparently also ship with some new software features as well.
Samsung is looking to bring biometric sensors including fingerprint sensors and beyond to not just future flagship models but also its low-end and entry-level smartphones as well. The Wall Street Journal reports that Samsung’s senior vice president Rhee In-jong confirmed that biometric sensors for security features— such as the fingerprint scanner already included in Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S5— will also soon come to the company’s less expensive devices. In addition, he hinted that iris detection features could be the next sensor technology it taps into for high-end devices:
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The latest update to hit the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S5 improves the overall accuracy of the fingerprinting system, and makes the camera open faster, as well as bringing various other small fixes (via SamMobile).
Improvements to the accuracy of the fingerprint scanner will be a welcome upgrade for many. Various early reviews found that the fingerprint scanner wasn’t as accurate as the part found in the iPhone 5s, though it’s difficult to prove that.
The other tweaks make for a faster overall experience with the device, and it seems that Samsung has improved the use of RAM with this update.
There’s no word on when this update might hit carrier versions of the device, though it likely won’t be for some time. If you have the international version of the Samsung Galaxy S5, you can grab the update now via Kies. The update is also rolling out OTA, though it may take some time before it hits your device.
According to a teardown and component analysis by IHS (via Recode), Samsung’s flagship device costs roughly $256 to make. That price includes the bill of materials, as well as the estimated assembly cost.
In an interview with Re/code, the leader of this teardown Andrew Rassweiler noted that Samsung’s smartphones have been going up in cost. However, Rassweiler also stated that, “Inside we see mostly a lot of recycled components that we’ve seen before. There’s really nothing special inside where Samsung is pushing the envelope,” although he did give credit to Samsung for the water-resistant design.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfhLZZWBn5Q]
The same German security researchers who demonstrated a hack of the iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint sensor have released a video showing that the same hack also works with the Samsung Galaxy S5.
The hack relies on photographing a latent print from something like a glass in a bar, then using lab techniques to transfer the image of the print into wood glue, which is then applied to someone else’s finger to activate the sensor …
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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3C6OW8eMGk]
Samsung hasn’t officially launched its next-gen smartphone, the Galaxy S5, just yet but the comparisons to Apple’s latest model are already starting. The S5 features a fingerprint-reader much like the iPhone’s, so YouTube user iCrackUriDevice put both phones head-to-head to determine which device sported the superior scanner.
Both devices have pros and cons. The iPhone 5s has the ability to scan your fingerprint from any angle, while the Galaxy can only detect a downward swipe across the scanner at a very specific angle. On the other hand, the Galaxy can use its fingerprint reader to authorize PayPal purchases, while the iPhone can only authenticate sales on Apple’s own iTunes store.
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The fingerprint sensor is said to be embedded in the home button
SamMobile is reporting that the Samsung Galaxy S5 will have a fingerprint sensor which will both unlock the phone and allow automated website logins. We’re expecting to see the S5 officially announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on 24th February, though it may not go on sale until March or April.
It had earlier been rumored that the S5 would have iris recognition, but a KGI Research document pointed instead to a fingerprint sensor, which SamMobile claims to be able to confirm via sources inside Samsung.
We are finally confirming that Samsung’s upcoming flagship device, the Galaxy S5, will be equipped with a fingerprint sensor […]
Samsung hasn’t opted for on-screen buttons and is still using physical buttons, like it has been using in the past on all of its flagship devices. The sensor itself works in a swipe manner, which means that you would need to swipe the entire pad of your finger, from base to tip, across the home key to register your fingerprint properly …
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Photo: thedroidguy.com
Rumors that the HTC One Max would have a fingerprint sensor (that we first reported back in August) are now all but confirmed by a launch invitation from HTC containing the phrase “One finger opens up a big view.” The two lines of text seemingly promote three aspects of the device:
One finger opens up a big view
You are invited to immerse in the sound with us
A fingerprint scanner, large display (of course) and BoomSound front speakers.
The WSJ also reports two different sources as confirming the fingerprint sensor.
HTC hasn’t been enjoying the best of luck recently. Senior departures, including its COO; a halving of market share since 2011; former UK execs setting up a rival company; alleged theft of trade secrets by several lead designers; and the first ever loss in the company’s history. Its luck doesn’t seem to be improving. The 15th October date the company has chosen for the launch just may find it struggling to see much media coverage: it’s the rumored date of Apple’s launch of new iPads, Macs and more … Update: The Apple rumor was wrong, the iPad launch is on 22nd October.
While it was rumored that LG would be the first to launch a current-generation smartphone with a fingerprint sensor, with the forthcoming iPhone 5S widely expected to be second in line, it appears Korean company Pantech has beaten both of them to it with the new Vega LTE-A.
As the name suggests, the handset also supports the new faster-than-4G LTE-Advanced standard, the second one to do so after Samsung’s S4 LTE-A …
There had been rumors that the LG G2, due for launch tomorrow, would have a fingerprint sensor based on photos of the rear shell …
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This morning we told you about HTC’s plans to bring a quad-core tablet to market thanks to Nvidia’s new Tegra 3 chip. That was after we introduced you to the new Transformer Prime from Asus, which will most likely be the first Tegra 3-powered tab you can get your hands on starting in December. Now, not to be left out of the Tegra 3 tablet party, Lenovo is gearing up to launch their own quad-core tab.
According to Engadget, the company is prepping a new 10.1-inch, Android 4.0 tablet powered by Nvidia’s new chip for December. As for specs, you can expect 2GB of DDR3 RAM, USB host socket, main backside camera, and a “Special Fusion-Skin Body”. The report also mentions a fingerprint scanner on the backside of the device that can also be used as a joystick for gaming. We’ll obviously have to wait for more info before we know if this will be a true competitor to the many quad-core tabs we’re bound to see in 2012. Until then, check out a few more images below.
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