Samsung’s Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have received ravishing reviews from almost all major publications and consumers who have managed to get their hands on them so far. However, one common complaint almost everyone has had with the device is the odd placement of the fingerprint scanner. 

Instead of placing the fingerprint scanner below the camera module like on most other Android devices, Samsung has placed it right beside the camera. In most cases, this leads to users placing their hand on the camera sensor thinking it is the fingerprint scanner. The matter is made worse by the fact that the 18.5:9 aspect ratio display makes the Galaxy S8 and S8+ unusually tall thereby making it difficult to reach for the fingerprint scanner.

It was unclear why Samsung decided to place the fingerprint scanner in such a weird location on its latest flagship handsets. In its review of the Galaxy S8, The Verge’s Dan Seifert says that Samsung told him the fingerprint scanner was placed beside the camera module because the battery prevented the sensor from being placed below it or anywhere else.

Samsung was trying to embed the fingerprint scanner into the display of the Galaxy S8 but failed to do so in time and so it had to move the scanner to the rear of the device at the very last minute. At that time, the company probably did not have enough time in its hand to rethink the internal layout of the device so as to accommodate the fingerprint scanner below the camera module.

While Samsung does offer iris scanner and facial recognition as alternate means to unlock the Galaxy S8, they are not as reliable and secure as the fingerprint scanner. The iris scanner does not work properly for people who wear spectacles, while the facial recognition system can be easily fooled using a photo.

How are you liking the fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S8? Hate it or is it okay? Drop a comment and let us know!