Qualcomm's Snapdragon Sense ID Fingerprint Scanner Can Work Through Glass, Metal And Other Materials

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Sense ID fingerprint scanner can work through glass, metal and other materials

BY Rajesh Pandey

Rajesh Pandey

Rajesh is a 26-year old freelance writer from Kolkata, India. He loves to tinker around with his Android devices and flash custom ROMs on them....

All Articles by Rajesh Pandey

Published 2 Mar 2015

Why trust Greenbot

We maintain a strict editorial policy dedicated to factual accuracy, relevance, and impartiality. Our content is written and edited by top industry professionals with first-hand experience. The content undergoes thorough review by experienced editors to guarantee and adherence to the highest standards of reporting and publishing.

At its press event in Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm took the wraps off a new fingerprint sensor that could even best Apple’s Touch ID. The new fingerprint reader from Qualcomm, dubbed the Snapdragon Sense ID, makes use of ultrasonic waves to scan your fingerprint in 3D.

Qualcomm claims that its fingerprint sensor works even through glass, aluminium, stainless steel and other elements. Additionally, it also works even if your fingers are dirty or wet.

The company boasts that the ultrasonic technology used in the sensor is capable of penetrating the outer layers of skin to detect unique fingerprint characteristics like sweat pores and ridges. The sensor is also more secure than Apple’s Touch ID and other fingerprint sensors in the market, because of its ability to map and verify your fingerprint in 3D.

Sense ID is built into Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 810 and 425 chips, but it will also be available as a standalone unit. It is expected to start showing up in Android devices from later this year.