Xiaomi Mi 5s, Microsoft Surface Phones: Which Phone Gets the Most Plausible ‘Fingerprint Detection with Transparent Cover’ Feature?

The newly launched Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus has revealed about its fingerprint reader technology hide under the glass of the screen. Microsoft has also reported to have filed patent application for 'fingerprint detection with transparent cover' for their upcoming surface phones. Which of the two smartphones will get the most plausible fingerprint reader feature?

Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun revealed during the launching of Xiaomi 5s Plus that the fingerprint reader under-glass was two years in the making since October 2014. According to Engadget, the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor tolerates dirty fingers - an advantage over its capacitive counterpart. Lei Jun also revealed that the ultrasonic sensor did not make it to Mi because the mass production has started after the device's release thus embedding the capacitive button instead.

Lei Jun did not talked about what lies underneath the ultrasonic sensor - LG, Qualcomm or Synaptic's Solution. Nevertheless, in the 2.5D glass is a little dent carved by Xiaomi to guide the users' fingers for the purpose of convenience.

On the other hand, Microsoft has been reportedly filed a patent application for the same technology with Xiaomi in which they called "Fingerprint Detection with Transparent Cover". According to Express, this technology talks about a sensor embedded under the glass that almost make up the screen display of the phone. The sensor works when the user presses his finger in the glass and immediately granted the users access to the device when the sensor detect the friction ridges. Express report claimed that Microsoft is about to include the fingerprint scanning to their upcoming Surface phones.

It can be remember that the company has introduced the retina scanning systems in Microsoft Hello Service as part of the Windows 10 operating system services. Also, such kind of system was also included in the Windows phone Lumia 950 XL.

In conclusion, Xiaomi Mi 5s Plus is considered to have the most innovative fingerprint scanning system due to its ultrasonic sensor hidden under the glass.