Samsung plans to equip Galaxy Z Fold4 with a dual-sided fingerprint sensor?

A new patent shows that Samsung intends to equip its Galaxy Z Fold4 foldable phone with an under-screen fingerprint sensor that will be able to scan from both sides of the screen. The Z Fold3 was previously thought to be equipped with an under-screen fingerprint sensor, just like regular Samsung Galaxy smartphones. However, consumers were slightly disappointed when the Korean company decided to use a side-mounted scanner.

But if the above technology really comes with the Z Fold4, then Samsung will achieve under-screen fingerprint in a way that has never been attempted before.

The patent was submitted to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) on March 31 this year. The patent is named "Foldable electronic device capable of detecting fingerprints through at least part of the screen" and was published on October 7, 2021.

The patent describes a fingerprint sensor positioned in such a way that it can be used both through the outer cover screen and through the inner foldable screen. This is achieved by mounting the sensor on the lower left half of the flexible screen. A small printed circuit board (PCB) is placed between the sensors, which in turn are connected to the main PCB. This opens up new possibilities for biometric authentication in both unfolded and folded positions.

Samsung claims in the patent that since foldable devices are equipped with flexible screens, wrinkles are more likely to appear when the screen is under pressure. Therefore, existing fingerprint technology should be adjusted to alleviate this limitation, and the implementation of dual-sided fingerprint sensors seems to be the perfect solution.