Fingerprint scanning is becoming a popular way to protect your mobile phones and tablets, with manufacturers like Apple and Samsung popularizing fingerprint sensors on their new devices. Today Qualcomm announced that it’s getting in on the fingerprint sensor game too.
Snapdragon Sense ID is a fingerprint scanning technology that uses ultrasonic soundwaves that penetrate the outer layers of your skin. Qualcomm says that this lets the tech get details of your fingerprint that capacitive-based fingerprint sensors can’t obtain. Snapdragon Sense ID’s ultrasonic soundwaves help it to create a detailed fingerprint map that is more difficult to map or spoof.
Qualcomm says that its Snapdragon Sense ID tech can work through many different materials, including aluminum, plastic, sapphire, and glass, meaning that device makers should be able to use Snapdragon Sense ID with most of their products. When it comes to stuff on your finger, Snapdragon Sense ID is supposed to be able to read your fingerprint through sweat and hand lotion.
Snapdragon Sense ID works with Snapdragon 400, 600, and 800 series devices, and it’ll make its first appearance on Snapdragon 810 and 425 products. Those devices will begin appearing in the second half of 2015.
Qualcomm also teased its new Snapdragon 820 processor. The company says that its Snapdragon 820 chip has a 64-bit Kryo CPU.