The market size of the global in-display fingerprint sensors market is expected to grow at an impressive growth rate over the forecast period. The rise in safety concerns among smartphone users across the globe boosted the demand for such biometric technology in smartphones. In recent years, the advancements in smartphones coupled with increasing demand for online and mobile payments, in-display fingerprint sensors-based identification technology has proved its advantages with convenience and security. Moreover, at present the smartphone manufacturers are striving to shrink bezels around the smartphone screen; thereby, usage of in-display fingerprint sensors will resolve this issue. Such sensors can be used to unlock smartphones as well as to access sensitive personal content. Furthermore, many of the sensor providers have developed a technology through which same sensors can also detect heartbeat and blood flow combine with existing human tissue impedance measurement to offer powerful liveness detection, and improved mobile authentication.

Segmental Outlook

The global in-display fingerprint sensors market is segmented on the basis of type, sensing technology type, application, and region. On the basis of type, the market is divided into area and touch sensors, and swipe sensors. Whereas, the sensing technology type segment covers optical and ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensors. Furthermore, on the basis of application, the market is classified into smartphones and tablets, and televisions.  

Global In-Display Fingerprint Sensors Market Share by Sensing Technology Type, 2018 (%)

Optical vs Ultrasonic In-Display Fingerprint Sensors - Which dominates the market?

The global in-display fingerprint sensors market is led by optical in-display fingerprint sensors accounted for the maximum share in the total market in 2018. Optical sensors in combination with capacitive scanners are extensively used in in-display scanners in smartphones. Capacitive fingerprint scanners use arrays of tiny capacitor circuits to generate fingerprint data. Optical sensors in combination with capacitive scanners are comparatively available at lower price points; thereby, has the highest penetration across a range of smartphones. This technology also enables a wide array of navigation and swipe features in a smartphone. Furthermore, optical sensors are also solely used in many of the smartphones. For instance, Nokia 9 PureView, uses an optical in-display fingerprint sensor. Optical sensors are basically the scanners that use some light to illuminate users’ finger. On the other hand, ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor technology is still in the nascent stage and is currently being used in Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone. However, it is expected that these sensors will gain significant momentum in near future. These technologies, as compared to optical sensing technology, are more expensive; however, works better even with the greasy fingerprints (wet or oily fingers).

Regional Outlook

The report analyzes the global in-display fingerprint sensors market on the basis of region into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World. Asia-Pacific is expected to dominate the market share in 2018 followed by North America and Europe. Increased smartphone penetration in the economies across North America and Europe is backing up the growth of the global in-display fingerprint sensors market across these regions. Major economies contributing to the market growth of Europe include UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and others.

Global In-Display Fingerprint Sensors Market Growth, 2019-2025

Asia-Pacific Led the Global Market Share in 2018

In 2018, Asia-Pacific region will contribute highest in the growth of in-display fingerprint sensors. The region is further expected to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period. The emergence of native market players coupled with the increasing penetration of fingerprint sensors across the region is boosting the growth of the market within the Asia-Pacific region. Moreover, presence of significant smartphone manufacturers such as Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi, LG, and many others in the region is further augmenting the demand for advanced identification technology in order to meet user’s requirement. Thereby, leading to market growth. Furthermore, the rising disposable income across emerging economies of the region such as India, China, Indonesia and Australia is further boosting the demand for smartphones and laptops, which in turns, has increased the market growth.

Market Players Outlook

The imbalance between the price and image quality has resulted in an increase in competition, particularly for the smartphone segment, which comprises some of the most established players facing peer pressure over optimal pricing. In addition, various small players are also facing difficulty over product differentiation, which results in a potential barrier for their entry into high-volume applications. In this case, successful product differentiation can move a product from pure pricing to non-pricing factors. Therefore, players are aimed at addressing this challenge by focusing on efficient technologies. Major players in the global in-display fingerprint sensors market include Qualcomm Inc., Fingerprint Cards AB, Synaptics Inc., SecuGen Corp., NEC Corp., Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd., and Touch Biometrix Ltd. among others. Several smartphone manufacturers, nowadays, are incorporating these sensors across the range of their smartphones as the technology is quite unique from traditional sensors. For instance, in January 2018, Vivo Communication Technology Co. Ltd. launched the first smartphone, VIVO X21 UD, with an in-display fingerprint scanner. The VIVO X21 UD smartphone consists of two distinct sensors, one from Synaptics and another from Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co., Ltd.

Recent Developments

• In April 2019, Touch Biometrix received a fund of $2.5 million supported by Deepbridge Capital. This funding will be used by the company to develop a new class of fingerprint sensor for application to consumer electronics such as smartphones and laptops.
• In February 2019, Fingerprint Cards AB launched FPC1610, its first optical fingerprint sensor that will be mounted under the display of smartphones. This sensor with superior image quality brings higher biometric performance.
• In February 2019, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. launched 3D Sonic Sensor that power first ultrasonic fingerprint reader on smartphones.
• In January 2019, Suprema established a commercial software license and distribution agreement with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Inc. to license Biosign, under-display fingerprint recognition algorithm of Suprema.
• In February 2018, Suprema launched BioSign 3.0 and has actively pursued the development of integrated solutions with several fingerprint sensor companies. With this launch, the company has expanded its portfolio by entering the smartphone segment with the Samsung Galaxy J5 in its fingerprint solution for smartphones.

The Report Covers

• Market value data analysis of 2018 and forecast to 2025.
• Annual revenues ($ million) for each market segment.
• Country-wise analysis of major geographical regions.
• Key companies operating in the global in-display fingerprint sensors market. Based on the availability of data, information related to pipeline products, and relevant news is also available in the report.
• Analysis of business strategies by identifying the key market segments positioned for strong growth in the future.
• Analysis of market-entry and market expansion strategies.
• Competitive strategies by identifying ‘who-stands-where’ in the market.