Yesterday we learned that the Samsung Galaxy S21 will be powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor, but that's not the only upgrade it'll have over the Galaxy S20.
Samsung is reportedly improving the Galaxy S21's in-display fingerprint reader. According to Samsung leaker Ice Universe, the S21's ultrasonic fingerprint rear will be twice as fast as the S20's. "You don't even need to press it, just tap to unlock," Ice Universe says.
The Galaxy S21's fingerprint reader is expected to be larger than the one on the S20, too. While the Galaxy S20's in-display fingerprint reader measures, 4 x 9mm, the Galaxy S21's is reportedly 8 x 8mm, making it 1.77 times larger.
The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor of Galaxy S21 is 8×8=64mm, which is 1.77 times higher than the previous generation, and the unlocking speed is doubled. You don’t even need to press it, just tap to unlock.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) December 9, 2020
This sounds like a great upgrade for the Galaxy S21. A larger fingerprint reader gives you more space on the display to place your finger, meaning you won't have to use as much focus on putting your finger in the exact right place on the screen to unlock. And a faster unlock means you're getting into your phone faster, which is always a good thing.
Rumors say that Samsung will announce the Galaxy S21, S21+, and S21 Ultra on January 14 and then launch the phones a couple of weeks later on January 29.