Fingerprint sensor will become standard in phones by 2018
PIN codes and patterns are cumbersome, while facial recognition and retina scans are still in their experimental stages. Biometric authentication is, however, reliant and time-tested. In the coming years, it'll become an inherent smartphone feature. This statement comes bolstered by a Counterpoint Research's report, which cites that by next year, we'll get to see significantly more fingerprint sensor-enabled phones. Here's more about it.
Why is it needed?
Nobody uses a smartphone just for calling and texting these days. With ever-expanding usages, like emails, online transactions, keeping digital copies of documents, the need to secure one's smartphone has also increased. PIN codes and patterns simply didn't cut it, as they could be easily breached. However, integration of fingerprint sensor on phones did solve the security problems to a large extent.
Why are they so popular?
First, the need to remember a complicated PIN or pattern is eliminated and secondly, with this, all one needs to do is press his/her finger against the sensor instead of typing the passwords, while in a hurry. Since fingerprints are unique, the chances of your device's security getting compromised are also less. All these make it an ideal device security system for modern times.
The new standard
Thus, according to Counterpoint Research, in 2018, more than one billion smartphones will get shipped with fingerprint sensors integrated into them. It's because fingerprint sensor is now becoming the device authentication standard. The rise in the popularity of mobile banking, digital payments and similar services are bringing about this trend and it'll be witnessed in all phone segments, shipped across the market, next year.
It will be there in entry-level devices
Parv Sharma, a research associate at Counterpoint Research, believes three out of four devices will have it as the method of authentication. Since the technology is affordable and widespread, the phone makers won't mind bundling it with smartphones that have entry-level specifications. Moreover, with its rise in popularity, options such as gesture support and heart rate monitoring, may also get incorporated into these sensors.
