Since its introduction back in 2013, Touch ID has become some untouchable being that is capable of existing all by itself. It has become quite a talking point for not just users but the tech community and smartphone makers as well. By no means was it the first time a fingerprint scanner was put on a smartphone, Motorola Atrix beating it to the claim, but it certainly was way easier to use and iPhone being the fashionable thing it is, has put over Touch ID in a big way. Soon, Samsung gave the Galaxy S5 a fingerprint scanner and HTC came up with a variant of its One M7 smartphone, named One Max, that sported a fingerprint scanner on the back.
While fingerprint scanners are not exactly new on the list of smartphone features, gimmicky or useful, they have been trying to answer some really important questions with all of them surrounding the issues of user security and privacy. With Apple having given real usage to Touch ID starting from iPhone 6 only, we find ourselves contemplating on the questions surrounding fingerprint scanners on smartphones. Here is what we think:
Speed vs Accuracy
Fingerprint scanners have usually not been slow per se, but when compared to other means like PIN or Pattern lock, they have been slow to react, that is until the phone has been in use well past its second or third month. The initial fingerprint scanners were more for show and weighed less on the important part of usability and practicality. For example, the Motorola Atrix had a fingerprint scanner on the top of its back panel which could be used by swiping one’s finger across the unit. Due to its placement and inability to be used in any other way than desired, it was still a failed experiment.
The accuracy talks have been around for quite some time. Apple has been fine-tuning its Touch ID but smartphone makers like Samsung had to give a complete overhaul to their systems as they led to less accuracy in daily usage. Samsung used a fingerprint scanner under its physical home button and it could be activated by swiping one’s finger across. The high levels of inconsistency of this system led to Samsung shelving it in favour of a simpler mechanism on Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. Now, users just have to keep their finger on the home button and it registers the same. HTC had the same system on One Max but it was still inaccurate.
The real talk here is how quickly and effectively the fingerprint scanner responds when being used. The said waters will be tested even further when Google rolls out Android M which has native fingerprint scanner support. Will this feature undergo a transformation of sorts or establish the Touch ID as the de-facto king of all fingerprint scanning systems on smartphones?
Is my data safe?
The Touch ID system that came with iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus came with Apple Pay mobile payment option. It essentially meant that you would not have to swipe a card from a number of cards that are in your wallet and instead, you can use your smartphone to make such payments. While Apple did not extend the benefit to iPad family and it is understandable (remember the idea of taking selfies with first iPad and now apply it in this mobile payment scenario), you still need to store such data on your smartphone. It can not be emphasised enough that your data is still at a huge risk from hackers, spammers or the person whom you share your room with, unless it is a family member. The bigger part of the trouble is that even though the confidential data is stored on a user’s smartphone remotely, the data he/she accesses after gaining access to his/her smartphone can be monitored and used by unwanted elements. To that effect, how a fingerprint scanner is able to protect your data is a question that is always going to be relevant.
There have been people who have tried hacking into iPhones protected with Touch ID system. While they claim that it was difficult to do, the emphasis is on the fact that it is not impossible. With technological advancements making anything that came out yesterday obsolete today, it is anyone’s guess as to how long would it take to make hacking into a Touch ID system a child’s game.
What if my smartphone maker snoops on me?
It is a bad idea to consider but think about it for once. What if tomorrow, someone from Apple wanted to hack into a user’s iPhone and does so by altogether bypassing Touch ID system. Agreed, Touch ID system is not something Apple can monitor, but what about the measures that act as a fail-safe measure for Touch ID? The idea of your smartphone maker gathering such data while claiming not to be doing so is alarming (no claims and names being made or taken here). Smartphone security is as sensitive an issue as user privacy. Enough of a scare was caused recently via social network that Samsung was stealing data from users’ smartphones via a small chip placed on the battery that many would even have gone ahead and peeled off the label on the battery, only to see it not being able to power their smartphones again. Think about the hit taken by Samsung when, due to such reports, people did not go and buy the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge (unibody design and hence, non-replacable battery).
Why you should also consider it is because of one more reason. A smartphone maker of BlackBerry’s stature has not dabbled with a fingerprint scanner or any such measure while it is considered as the go-to option for enterprise users is something you should give a thought to. We are not against the idea of technological advancement, but there has been done too less to convince us in this aspect, no matter how you look at it. The case of fingerprint scanners on smartphones can only be improved if smartphone makers emphasise on the measures they take on the data security front when they launch their products and build upon such measures through further software updates and patches.
If I still want to buy, what are the options?
Considering that it is still a nice gimmick, there are few options to consider in this respect apart from Apple products. You can buy the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge. If you are looking for cheaper options from the Korean giant, then Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy S5 are worth a consideration. From HTC, there is One M9 Plus and One ME. Oppo offers the N3 for those looking for a fingerprint scanner. If you are looking for something Indian, there is Xolo making the Q2100. It is also the cheapest smartphone out there in India to sport a fingerprint scanner.
I can wait, but what are the options?
1. OnePlus 2
Not much is known about the successor to OnePlus One, named OnePlus 2, to be mentioned here. What is known is that it will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM, 5.5-inch Full HD (1080p) display, a USB Type-C port and a fingerprint scanner that (manufacturer claim this one) is allegedly faster than Touch ID in functioning.
2. Huawei Ascend Mate 7
The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is not new to the ones closely monitoring all things technology. For those who are new though, here is a spec sheet recall: 1.8GHz octa-core processor with 2GB RAM, 6-inch 1080p screen, Android 4.4.4 KitKat with Emotion UI 3.0, 3G, 4G, 16GB internal storage, Wifi 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 13-megapixel rear camera with 5-megapixel front-facing shooter, 4000mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner mounted below the rear camera unit.
3. Next Google Nexus smartphone
With Android M sporting native fingerprint scanner support, it is very much likely the successor to Nexus 6 will come with a fingerprint scanner. It would lead to coming of a host of smartphones to the market that sport a fingerprint scanner and run on Android OS. With not much news on the successor to Snapdragon 810’s successor, the next Google Nexus smartphone is very much likely to sport Snapdragon 810 with 3GB/4GB RAM, a 5.2-inch Quad HD display, 3G, 4G, Android M, 32GB internal storage space, Bluetooth 4.1, Wifi, 16-megapixel rear camera with 5-megapixel front facing unit, a 3000mAh battery and fingerprint scanner unit placed on the back (unless some way is found to place it up front).
4. Xiaomi Mi 5
Xiaomi’s successor to Mi 4 is among the most-talked smartphones right now and justifiably so. Rumours suggest it will sport Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 with 3GB/4GB RAM, 5.5-inch Quad HD or Full HD display, 16GB/64GB internal storage space, 3000mAh battery, 16-megapixel rear camera with 8-megapixel front-facing shooter, USB Type-C connector and fingerprint scanner (all rumoured though).
5. Moto X (third generation)
Another much-rumoured smartphone is the third-generation Moto X, which has been tipped to not be the successor to Moto X but to Moto Turbo. Rumours suggest a 1.9GHz Snapdragon 810 processor with 3GB RAM, 32GB inbuilt storage, 20-megapixel rear camera with 5-megapixel front-facing shooter, Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, 5.5-inch Quad HD display, 2500-3000mAh battery and a fingerprint scanner under the Motorola logo on the back.
This article appeared on http://www.priceraja.com on June 30, 2015.
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