Galaxy Note 8 Rumors: In-Display Fingerprint Scanner Won't Be Included, Samsung Official Said

A Samsung official reportedly said the Galaxy Note 8 might not ship with an in-display fingerprint scanner. This news arrives just a day after a render for the device surfaced online that fueled rumors and showed otherwise.

South Korean site News1 quoted an anonymous Samsung official as saying the company “made every effort to install a display-integrated fingerprint sensor on Galaxy Note 8,” Phone Arena reported. “But we decided not to install it on this strategic phone due to various technical limitations such as security.”

As some might already know, Samsung was faced with the same challenge on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. In March, Samsung actually decided to put the fingerprint scanner on the back of the Galaxy S8 “at the last minute.” The company was simply unable to fully develop the embedded fingerprint scanner for the Galaxy S8.

The location of the rear-mounted fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S8 has been criticized for being poorly designed. The fingerprint scanner sits right beside the camera module, which many have mistaken as the scanner. This could also leave the camera’s lens full of smudges and increase the risk of getting scratched.

For the Galaxy Note 8, it looks like Samsung is still having trouble with this kind of technology. Although there was no mention of another rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, this might be implemented on the upcoming Samsung phablet.

The report also indicated Apple successfully has developed the embedded fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 8’s display. Samsung in the meantime is said to be continuing its research and development of the technology with companies like CrucialTech, the company that actually owns the technology.

This might be a huge disappointment for consumers who were expecting that the Galaxy Note 8 would feature an in-display fingerprint scanner. Just yesterday, a render for the handset was leaked on Twitter showing the device doesn’t come with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner.

The render was shared by Poyoco Tech, a new leaker in town who hasn’t proved his reliability just yet. Even though the render doesn’t seem to be in line with what the Samsung official said, it’s possible that Poyoco Tech simply got hold of an early render for the device.

Possible Release Date

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is said to launch sometime in late August, the Korea Herald reported. It’s presumed to launch just days before the IFA 2017 conference, scheduled for Sept. 1-6 in Berlin.

It’s important to point out the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 was launched in early August. Samsung is believed to have rushed the development of the handset to stay ahead of Apple. This, as we now know, didn’t end so well for Samsung.

With the Galaxy Note 8, this will be Samsung’s chance to resurrect the Note brand and finally get the Note 7 fiasco out of everyone’s mind. Samsung now has an eight-point battery check for its smartphone safety, and the Galaxy S8 was the company’s first device to go through this new safety check.