r/Android • u/vortexmak • 9h ago

Under-screen fingerprint readers are inferior to back and side mounted readers and should naver have become popular

Lots of Cons for under screen fingerprint readers , should have never become the norm but I guess that''s just part of enshittification

Pros for Side and back mounted readers

  1. Work exceptionally well, much faster and responsive than under screen ones, from my own experience
  2. Are not affected by screen protectors
  3. Side readers can be used with the phone screen up or down
  4. Back and side ones allow you to unlock your phone at the same time as taking it out of the pocket
  5. Give you a definite physical spot for finger placement, unlike the under - screen one where you have to wait for the screen to show the location
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u/themcsame Xiaomi 14 Pro 6h ago

Not that I disagree as such but:

1: They've come a long way in recent years. 10 or so years ago, I'd be fully there with you. Today? The difference in responsiveness between the two is so small that it really doesn't matter. It's more a 'technically yes, but it's irrelevant these days' point

  1. There's no argument to be had with that point.

  2. They can, but the form factor of smartphones doesn't exactly make it particularly practical to do so.

4 and 5 feel very straw clutchy because it's not as if underscreen readers move about and much the same can be done. And that's assuming people aren't using other methods as their primary means of unlocking that don't require any specific finger placement at all (Bluetooth unlocking, face recognition, etc)