LG Innotek has just come up with a smartphone cover glass that would already have a fingerprint sensor embedded on it. In addition, the recognition module would also be more sensitive than existing ones.
Most mid-end to high-end smartphones today have fingerprint sensors that allow users to add another layer of security. Even Apple (NASDAQ: APPL) has them on some of their iPhones and it is usually located on the home button or on the back of an Android smartphone.
One problem is that users would need to directly put their finger on the separate sensors themselves. The advantage of the LG Innotek cover glass is that it would be able to read the fingerprint even if the user is only touching the glass covering the screen.
Smartphone manufacturers would be able to develop their smartphones to be leaner because there wouldn't be a protruding sensor on the phone. The LG Innotek cover glass's sensor can feet in a 0.3-millimeter-deep space at the rear bottom of the glass itself, according to ZDNet.
Another advantage for smartphone makers is that the cover glass would allow them to make waterproof and dustproof models without having to compromise the fingerprint sensor. LG also said that the sensor itself has a 99.998 percent accuracy which is pretty impressive considering that it would be used for smartphones and not for industrial-grade applications.
In order to make the LG Innotek smartphone cover glass, they compounded a high molecular substance into a glass. This helps the material to absorb external shocks such as slight drops and strong finger presses all throughout the day.
LG even tested the glass by dropping a 130-gram ball bearing from a height of 20 centimeters, according to Korea Times. The Innotek smartphone cover glass did not break from the test, but of course there is still a possibility that it might be damaged under extreme pressure.
"The new module is expected to drastically reduce any smartphone malfunctions, as it does not require a specific button for fingerprint recognition," a spokeswoman for LG Innotek said in a statement.
Why does LG suddenly have an interest in other areas besides their consumer electronic products? Besides their smartphones and OLED screen panels, LG also has televisions and other household appliances.
LG is seeking growth in a time where the smartphone global market is slowly declining. Their LG Innotek cover glass may save them some financial loss and it could lead to innovations with regards to fingerprint sensors and such.