With that, the scanner essentially had just one function. Its location on the back/top of the device was a natural home for it considering how most folks tend to hold their phones. It was an easy way to bypass the pin lock (which would be setup if you opted to use a fingerprint unlock in the first place). The Motorola ATRIX 4G’s fingerprint scanner was used for unlocking your device. So why not? It’s interesting enough for Apple - a company who still hasn’t even adopted the likes of NFC - so why hasn’t anyone else stepped up to the plate since then? Let’s explore it a bit, but first we’ll have to revisit the Motorola ATRIX 4G and figure out where things went wrong. Unfortunately, fingerprint scanners in phones never quite took off (as evidenced by the lack of new phones with fingerprint scanners embedded).
#Fingerprint hardware download for android android#
For a more modern device, look no further than the Motorola ATRIX 4G, a 2011 Android phone that was pretty exciting for its time. It gives them the ability to do things like use it as an alternate unlocking mechanism to gain access to the entire phone or authorize App Store purchases, all with the swipe of a finger.īut did you know that the iPhone 5S wasn’t the first mobile device with a fingerprint scanner? Nope! That honor belongs to the HP iPaq PPC 5500, a PocketPC device from 2003. One other interesting thing they included was a fingerprint scanner that is actually embedded into the iconic Home button.ĭubbed the “Touch ID” scanner, this thing introduces a new element of security for Apple users. A faster processor, new camera tech, a revamped version of iOS 7 - it’s all there. On Tuesday, Apple announced the iPhone 5S (and iPhone 5C), giving us a look at one of the more significant “S” upgrades we’ve seen from them.