Your next smart phone and tablet will use fingerprint biometrics.
Biometrics Research Group, Inc. expects that biometrics will become integrated within a wide number of mobile devices in the near future. Integration will be driven by smartphone and tablet manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung Electronics, which we expect will add both fingerprint and gesture recognition functionality to their mobile devices within the next year.
In January, at the Consumer Electronics Show, a Samsung Android phone was demonstrated which included a fingerprint sensor underneath its screen. Developed by Validity, a firm that creates biometric authentication solutions for mobile devices, the sensor allowed a user to log into an Android-based smartphone with a single swipe of a finger. Using a fingerprint authentication system entitled “Natural Login”, Validity will not only enable security access to mobile devices, but will also allow validation of e-commerce transactions.
As extensively reported in BiometricUpdate.com, Apple is also undertaking incorporation of biometric technologies into its devices. Apple entered into an agreement last year to purchase AuthenTec for about $356 million. AuthenTec specializes in developing strong fingerprint-based security, ideal for mobile devices. With the acquisition, Apple will obtain many of the foundational technology patents for fingerprint biometrics, along with a broad patent portfolio consisting of 200 issued and filed patents in the United States. Previously, Apple paid US$20 million to use AuthenTec’s patented area fingerprint sensors and modules.
After the acquisition, AuthenTec announced that it would stop selling fingerprint technology to Apple’s competitors, which include Samsung, HP, Dell, Lenovo and Fujitsu. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office also granted Apple a patent for biometric-sensor handheld devices that recognize a user by the image of their hand. Further, Apple patented the use of a biometric fingerprint sensor that is concealed under the iPhone’s screen display.
http://www.biometricupdate.com/201303/next-round-of-smartphones-to-incorporate-biometrics/
http://www.goodeintelligence.com/media/media_centre/1343889960mobile_phone_biometric_security_news_release__30072012final.pdf