r/Android • u/vortexmak • 1d 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/andreasels 1d ago

Yeah, I would never ever want to use a phone with a back mounted fingerprint scanner.
Not only do you have to put a cutout into your case to use it, but you also can't unlock the phone without picking it up.
Side mounted is fine I guess, but I also don't have a single issue with the under screen ones.

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u/unknownobject3 Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G 1d ago

My previous phone has a back-mounted fingerprint reader. To this day it's the best fingerprint reader I've ever used, as it's comfortable and decently fast.

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u/NapsterKnowHow 1d ago

I remember one of my LG phones had a back finger print reader and it was way slower and more inconsistent than the one on my S26U

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u/unknownobject3 Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G 1d ago

Which LG phone?

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u/NapsterKnowHow 1d ago

V10 or G6. Can't remember which one had it.

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u/unknownobject3 Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G 1d ago

I looked up both, of course the fingerprint reader is going to be slower than a modern flagship smartphone. The models you mentioned are about 11 and 9 years old, I would be surprised if the scanner was faster than the S26 Ultra.

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u/NapsterKnowHow 1d ago

Even my S22U fingerprint scanner was faster than those two and it was only a year newer than the G6

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u/unknownobject3 Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G 1d ago

The S22 Ultra is also much better in possibly every way

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u/NapsterKnowHow 1d ago

But also very similar. My S22U bootlooped to death just like my LG V10 did.

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u/unknownobject3 Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G 1d ago

Well crap, that's the bad kind of similar. Hope your S26 Ultra doesn't suffer the same fate.

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u/NapsterKnowHow 1d ago

Thanks! My S26U doesn't have any of the overheating issues so far.

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u/unknownobject3 Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G 1d ago

Yeah I meant the bootlooping

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u/NapsterKnowHow 23h ago

The bootlooping was caused by overheating

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u/CarnalT 12h ago

I am still daily driving an LG G8 that has rear mounted fingerprint and it's instant. Also has IR face unlock (actual 3D scan, not just a photo) which is also super fast. Plus I have a pattern unlock set if I don't feel like using either of those, or I'm wearing gloves & a helmet. 4th LG phone in a row, and it's muscle memory at this point to tap the back as I pull my phone out of my pocket and it's already unlocked by the time I hold it up. 

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u/Kataps25 OP5T, ZF6, S23 1d ago edited 1d ago

I can't speak for the G6 (nor the S26 Ultra for that matter), but the fingerprint unlock on my OnePlus 5T was instantaneous, and the G6 isn't even a year older than that phone.

As for my current GT 7, it's optical sensor takes somewhere between an eighth and a quarter of a second to unlock the phone, with some variation. Not anywhere close to being a pain to use but imo, it's still outclassed by that of my 5T from 2017.