FOR the past few years, Apple and Samsung have been teasing about integrating finger-print sensors into their smartphone displays to give users that true full-screen experience.
As phone design continues to evolve in the direction of slimmer bezels and screens taking up almost all of the front of the device, both companies, however, decided to do things differently, with Samsung placing the fingerprint sensor on the rear of the phone (awkwardly and less conveniently, if I may add), while Apple ditched fingerprint authentication altogether and replaced it with the Face ID system.
But now in-screen fingerprint sensors have become a reality, as upstart brand Vivo unveiled the Vivo X20 Plus UD on its online store in China (shopact.vivo.com.cn/page/x20plusud).
Vivo has has partnered with Synaptics to create the Vivo X20 Plus UD, which features a huge 6.43-inch Full HD (2160 x 1080), 18:9 OLED display; dual 12MP cameras; 4GB RAM; 128 GB storage; Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor; and a massive 3,905 mAh battery. The phone officially goes on sale on February 1 in China, with a price tag of CNY3,598 ($565, or roughly around P28,000).
Vivo initially unveiled the in-display fingerprint-scanning technology at the recent CES 2018, and it quickly drew a lot of attention from the global tech media. This latest fingerprint-scanning technology delivers a whole new mobile experience by enabling users to unlock their smartphone through one-touch fingerprint scanning directly on the smartphone display, while solving the industry’s challenge of providing a better and more convenient fingerprint-authentication experience in future smartphones.
Fingerprint recognition has long been one of the most common and well-known biometrics used to secure smartphones. As the industry moves into a new era of full-screen displays, it is natural that the fingerprint-scanning technology needs to evolve to accommodate new user habits and demands for bigger screens without sacrificing user experience.
According to statistics from global consultancy firm Canalys, smartphone vendors shipped 22 million full-screen smartphones worldwide in the second quarter in 2017, up from 700,000 in the first quarter of this year. UBI Research predicted that bezel-less displays will grow in market share from 20 percent in 2017 to over 50 percent by 2020.
Vivo said besides unlocking your phone, the fingerprint-scanning technology could also be used for mobile-payment authentication. Unlike the current fingerprint scanners which permanently occupy the bottom part of your phone, the graphical UI will only show up on the screen when locked or when fingerprint recognition is required and will be become invisible again once you begin using your phone so as not to disrupt your visual experience.
There is no news yet if Vivo plans to bring the X20 Plus UD to the Philippines, but if it does, it’ll probably be the brand’s new flagship phone at a more premium price point.
So do you think in-display fingerprint sensors will be the next big thing, or will it just be another novelty feature?
C.E.S. 2018 BIG WINNER
LG Electronics was a big winner at CES with more than 90 awards, led by the Official CES Best TV Product Award for the fourth consecutive year, this time for the new LG AI OLED TV (model C8).
LG also earned numerous best-of-show honors for the LG InstaView ThinQ Refrigerator and LG 4K UHD Projector. LG received top accolades from Engadget, The Verge, Digital Trends, Mashable, SlashGear, TechRadar, Pocket-lint, T3, Stuff Magazine and others, in addition to 19 CES Innovation Awards from the Consumer Technology Association—including the Best of Innovation Award for the LG 4K UHD Projector—across home appliance, home entertainment and mobile communications categories. LG’s 2018 innovations unveiled at CES include home appliances and home-entertainment products with LG ThinQ AI, including the first TVs with the Google Assistant built-in, most notably the LG Signature AI OLED TV W8 featuring ThinQ, which won more than 10 awards at CES. The LG InstaView ThinQ Refrigerator followed in award wins, offering a streamlined food-management system through LG’s webOS platform and Amazon Alexa integration that simplifies shopping for groceries, playing music, checking the weather, managing your calendar and more. LG also debuted the revolutionary new α (Alpha) 9 intelligent processor that further enhances performance of its flagship LG AI OLED TVs and revealed the outstanding LG V30 smartphone in a brilliant new Raspberry Rose color.
LG’s latest V30 smartphone also received the Consumer Technology Association 2018 CES Innovation Awards: Wireless Handsets and Accessories/Videomaker: Best Smartphone of CES.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
WHILE Huawei has yet to unveil its 2018 lineup of smartphones, it was still a winner at the CES 2018, earning awards from global technology media titles following the Huawei Mate 10 Pro’s introduction to the US market and the unveiling of the Huawei WiFi Q2 Series.
The media presented Huawei four awards—including Smartphone of the Year from Android Authority, while the Huawei WiFi Q2 Series was recognized for its full-coverage wireless connectivity.
Android Authority awarded Huawei Mate 10 Pro the 2017 Smartphone of the Year award for having consistent quality across the board. According to the publication’s editor, it is a “pound-for-pound champion,” with the device progressing year over year. TechRadar also named the Huawei Mate 10 Pro the Best Smartphone at the show, acknowledging the device’s Kirin 970 AI chip, Huawei FullView Display, the world’s largest dual f/1.6 aperture, and the world’s first end-to-end safety certified charging technology. Android Police recognized the Huawei Mate 10 Pro as a Best of CES 2018 for its Kirin 970 processor, intelligent New Leica Dual Camera, and long-lasting battery power. The publication also called the device “sleek and downright beautiful.”
Finally, Android Central named the Huawei Mate 10 Pro a 2018 CES Top Pick, calling the device Huawei’s “best phone ever,” and concluded it is the best Android flagship for battery life. Meanwhile, T3 gave the Huawei WiFi Q2 Series one if its “Loves” award for being a true plug-and-play Wi-Fi system designed for the entire house.
EPSON’S AFFORDABLE PROJECTORS
Epson the world’s No. 1 name in projectors for 16 consecutive years, unveiled a series of new and feature-packed projectors for businesses and schools at affordable price points.
At the Projection Conference and Showcase, “Together, We Bring Imagination to Life,” held at the Shangri-La at the Fort, Epson Philippines Visual Imaging Product Manager Lyn Lizarondo pointed out how projector usage has expanded over the years, with Epson delivering innovations adapted to the fast-changing needs of multiple segments.
“This showcase highlights how Epson led innovations in visual-imaging technologies even beyond the boardroom. In the past few years, we have seen how projectors have become indispensable in the home, schools and even in big venues and the outdoors. Even as Epson took big steps in various sectors, we have continued to improve on the usage of projectors for businesses and in classrooms, by adding on features that are not available in the market at these price points.”
The new Epson projectors are equipped with an impressive 3,300 to 3,600 lumens, delivering both white and color brightness in the same high levels. This feature is important to ensure better visibility even in bright environments, like in offices or in classrooms. Resolutions range from SVGA, XGA, WXGA to WUXGA, and wide-ranging connectivity—HDMI/VGA/LAN—to provide convenient and hassle-free projections. The EB-U42 even comes with additional two HDMI ports, with one of it MHL-enabled—ideal for greater digital compatibility.
Other features include wireless transmission, which enables end-users to easily share and transmit images, texts and files from smart devices like mobile phones, tablets and laptops with either EB-U42’s built-in wireless module or Epson’s ELPAP10 wireless LAN adaptor; split-screen features, which allow two separate image sources to be projected on a single screen, eliminating the need for a second projector. This is useful during video conferences, allowing presentation images and remote participants to be shown together simultaneously. There’s also a multi-PC projection moderator function, which allows connecting to up to 50 devices—PC, smartphones or others—and simultaneously project onto the screen up to four images; and screen mirroring, which allows users to wirelessly mirror their Android smart devices to the projector without the need of cables or installing any application.
Epson has pioneered in raising awareness on Color Brightness (Color Light Output) as an important requirement for life-like colors. Utilizing its own proprietary 3LCD technology, all Epson projectors deliver equal levels of White Light Output and Color Light Output—an important detail that significantly raises the quality of projected images.
Since 2015 Epson’s visual imaging development has remained focused on multisectoral usage and innovating in anticipation of the evolving functions of projectors as an ubiquitous digital imaging device for business, education or lifestyle requirements.
PHONES FOR OLYMPIANS
WITH the Olympic Winter Games Pyeongchang 2018 just a couple of weeks away, Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Note 8 Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition phone.
In collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Pyeongchang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (Pocog), Samsung will deliver over 4,000 devices to all Olympians, as well as the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic family, including IOC and Pocog staff, allowing them to lean on Samsung mobile technology to enhance their experiences and connect more conveniently. The Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition will include the bold new features of the Galaxy Note 8, such as the innovative bezel-less, 6.3-inch Infinity Display that fits comfortably in one hand, enhanced S Pen for efficient productivity and Samsung’s best-in-class Dual Camera. Exclusively for the Games, the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition will showcase a shiny white back glass to celebrate the winter theme, and gold Olympic rings—inspired by the Olympic Torch, an expression of the Olympic Movement with the union of five continents and unity worldwide.
“Throughout our 20-year legacy as an Olympic partner, Samsung has showcased our support of the Olympic Movement by helping spread the Olympic Spirit and enhance connections through our latest technological innovations and immersive experiences,” said Younghee Lee, CMO and Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics. “We’re proud to provide the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition to all athletes in an effort to help them to stay connected, capture and share one of the most memorable moments of their lives.”
The Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games Limited Edition will feature celebratory preloaded Pyeongchang 2018 themed wallpapers, allowing recipients to stay connected in-style through Samsung’s most-advanced mobile technology. As an added element, useful apps will be preinstalled to help cultivate the utmost Olympic Games experience.