Sources speaking with SamMobile have confirmed the Galaxy S5 will sport a fingerprint sensor, and that the technology will be implemented similarly to Apple's iPhone 5s. Previous reports have suggested the sensor would actually be built right into the S5's display, but sources say that's not the case. Instead, the sensor will be included in the handset's home button, and supposedly work in a "swipe manner," meaning you'd have to "swipe the entire pad of your finger" across the home button for it to register.
Like the 5s, Samsung's upcoming flagship will allow users to register multiple fingerprints—SamMobile was told up to eight—and even assign different fingerprints to different tasks, such as an app shortcut. That actually sounds pretty awesome, if done correctly, and would make launching your favorite apps super easy. This implementation will also help S5 users take advantage of a new "Personal Folder" and "Private Mode," which are designed with security in mind.
"To open and close your Personal Folder and Private Mode, you would need to swipe your registered finger over the home key after tapping on the home key," SamMobile explained.
SamMobile apparently has pictures of how Samsung has implemented the technology into the S5's home button, but didn't want to spoil anything before UNPACKED 2014. In addition to Samsung's fingerprint sensor, the company will allegedly still use physical buttons instead of onscreen buttons, sources said.
Fingerprint sensors in mobile are still relatively new, though the technology appears to be the must-have feature in upcoming handsets. According to the latest rumors, Samsung could release two different S5 models when it launches this spring, including one with a 1080p display, and one with a quad HD screen. Mobile World Congress is just a week away, so we'll super close to finding out what Samsung has in store. Last year we saw a pretty substantial leak before Samsung even took the stage, so we'll be keeping our eyes peeled as the week develops.
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