In an industry first, Xiaomi’s Redmi sub-brand has announced that it is ready to mass produce in-display fingerprint readers for LCD panels. Technical limitations, until now, have ‘forced’ brands to put in-display fingerprint readers on OLED panels alone, thereby increasing cost. The breakthrough could entail relatively more affordable LCD-toting smartphones with in-display fingerprint scanning tech – smartphones that had to rely on physical scanners previously.
Redmi General Manager Lu Weibing made the announcement on China’s social media website Weibo, also sharing a demo video showcasing the technology on a Redmi Note 8 Pro prototype – that uses an LCD panel.
Current-generation technology doesn’t allow LCD phones to use in-display fingerprint readers because of the difference in the nature of light transmittance in comparison to OLED phones. OLED screens can only channel or transmit optical or ultrasonic signals – that form the basis of all in-display screen unlock today – to the sensor that rests below (and not directly on it). While LCD screens cannot due to their backlight module.
Redmi’s R&D team has managed to overcome this limitation of LCD screens by using an ‘infrared high-transmittance film material’ that is said to “greatly improve the transmittance of infrared light that could not pass through the screen (earlier). The infrared transmitter at the bottom of the screen emits infrared light. After the fingerprint is reflected, it penetrates the screen and shines on the fingerprint sensor to complete the fingerprint verification, which solves the LCD screen fingerprint problem.”
This could signal the arrival of relatively more affordable LCD phones with in-display fingerprint tech, something that Redmi is also being very vocal about.
The announcement comes days ahead of Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro India launch – which is also going to be a global launch – raising speculation if the upcoming phones would be the first to use Redmi’s new in-display fingerprint technology. Xiaomi will launch the Redmi Note 9 and Redmi Note 9 Pro in India on March 12.
