In the near future, smartphones might just turn to ultrasound sensing technology to replace any and all physical buttons on one’s handset. The news arrives after an video on YouTube (by Gary Explains) turned the spotlight on certain technological developments in Ultrasense.

The new technology could potentially improve smartphone design and also be a step closer to the future with seamless handsets; something OEMs have been working on for years now. Unfortunately, ultrasonic technology has previously left a bad mark in the industry, looking at the in-display fingerprint scanner on Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series. However, Ultrasense aims to tackle another area altogether.

The company plans on making a simple switch that can be situated under any surface and be used similar to capacitive buttons (which are generally not compatible with most surfaces). Technically, the technology would work on glass, metals and even unconventional surfaces like leather and wood. This implies that soon smartphone manufacturers would not need to drill holes in the handset’s frame to make room for the volume rockers and power buttons.

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Furthermore, Ultrasense has claimed that its sensors can even detect the force of different levels. This would allow for unique drag-to-activate features alongside the conventional tap methods. Notably, the move to ultrasonic sensors will allow smartphone manufacturers to place additional emphasis on building durable, water and dustproof devices.

Another claim by Ultrasense points at the emerging 5G networking, which its sensors are apparently more responsive with. While Ultrasense can bring a wide array of features with the technology on smartphones, the company is also planning on including these sensors in various other IoT devices. It includes automobiles, home appliances and even enters the medical fields. Unfortunately, the company has yet to unveil this technology or its prototype, so safe to say it’s not arriving in any smartphone within 2020.

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(Via)

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Samsung was the first mainstream smartphone maker to utilize Qualcomm’s 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensor inside the Galaxy S10. However, after the recent issue concerning the less secure fingerprint sensors inside the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 models, Samsung could be hesitant to use Qualcomm ultrasonic fingerprint sensors in its 2020 models.

The news comes via KoreaTimes which reports that there’s a growing concern among smartphone manufacturers and customers about the security of Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic fingerprint sensors. The report further adds that industry officials had doubts about this technology even before it made it to the market as it ‘exhibited a greater probability of errors’. So the recent issue with Samsung’s devices further spoiled the sensor’s reputation in the market.

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According to the industry official, it looks like Qualcomm’s ultrasonic technology has its limits and developers have to be extra careful in designing software for its sensors. On the other hand, the optical sensor based in-display sensors seem to be doing well, with a lot of manufacturers adopting this technology over ultrasonic sensors.

The two technologies differ in the way they read a user’s fingerprint. Optical in-display sensors use optical (light-based) scanners to authenticate the user’s fingerprint while Qualcomm’s sensors use ultrasonic waves.

Given the issues associated with Qualcomm’s ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensors, it is possible that Samsung ditches it in favor of the traditional optical scanners for its next-generation Galaxy flagships. To recall, Samsung phones like Galaxy S10 and Note 10 were both blacklisted by a number of international banks back when the fingerprint security issue was revealed. Given how smartphones are increasingly being used to make financial transactions, manufacturers like Samsung wouldn’t want to take any risks in terms of security.

Note that Samsung is yet to comment on this matter.

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(Source)

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Xiaomi is all set to announce the brand new Xiaomi Mi 5S flagship at an event tomorrow. While there could be a number of other products announced, including the recently leaked Xiaomi ‘Mi Brain’, the highlight of the event should be the Xiaomi Mi 5S and the Mi 5S Plus.

We all know Xiaomi is a company focused on providing top value for the price you pay. That’s why we have seen so many smartphone launches, especially in the low-end and mid-range segment featuring pretty good hardware at half the cost of what competitors like Samsung price their devices. However, as Xiaomi has been busy in the pricing war with competitors like Meizu and LeEco, innovation is one area where the company seems to be a bit behind giants like Huawei and Samsung.

But that’s going to change with the Xiaomi Mi 5S and if rumors are to be believed, pricing will still be the selling point of the device. Hence, the Xiaomi Mi 5S which will be launched tomorrow is definitely a phone that we all should be excited about.

So, here are the top reasons why you should be excited for Xiaomi Mi 5S’ launch tomorrow!

1. Under Glass Fingerprint Sensor

Yes, the Xiaomi Mi 5S is said to come with a revolutionary fingerprint technology, most likely Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic sensor. This is revolutionary in the sense that the fingerprint sensor works even when under materials like glass. Plus, it’s reportedly unaffected by contaminants like sweat and other factors which usually hampers the working of a traditional capacitive fingerprint sensor. You can read more about Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic Sense ID from here.

2. Dual Camera Setup

Xiaomi Mi 5S is confirmed to feature a dual camera setup at the back. While we are not yet sure whether it would be a similar 13MP Dual camera setup as the Xiaomi Redmi Pro, what we do know is that the camera is going to be awesome. Xiaomi’s CEO himself revealed a few set of Mi 5S camera samples taken all around the world and the bokeh effect as well as the color reproduction in the images taken from the sensor look pretty good.

Since the Mi 5S is the company’s top-end flagship, the sensor at the back should be much better than the Redmi Pro (review here).

3. Dual Curved Screen Display

Yes, I know that we haven’t seen much rumors or leaks about a curved display Mi 5S variant lately, but we have been hearing about the Xiaomi working on curved display phones in the past. Recently, an analyst revealed that the Mi 5S may not feature curved display since Samsung is not supplying the company with its curved OLED panels. However, another analyst commented that LG is also a known supplier of curved displays, so we can’t entirely rule it out. Only tomorrow will we know for sure.

4. 3D Touch Pressure sensitive Display

Apart from being the first phone to feature under glass sensor, the Mi 5S could be the company’s first pressure sensitive display enabled smartphone. According to the latest leak, the flagship could come with 3D Touch like features on the device, further enhancing its functions. However, I personally think Xiaomi could restrict the pressure sensitive panel on the top-end versions, like Huawei did with its Mate S.

5. Premium Ceramic Body

Now, I know that Mi 5 Pro also came with a Ceramic body, but since the company has confirmed this material on the new Mi 5S as well, it’s safe to assume that Xiaomi solved the mass production issues associated with this material. Company’s 3D Ceramic body does have its set of advantages including being super scratch resistant. Plus, it looks premium as well.

6. Snapdragon 821 & 6GB RAM

The Xiaomi Mi 5S will be the company’s first Snapdragon 821 powered smartphone, which will also make it the most powerful Xiaomi phone till date. Further, one of the top versions should feature 6GB of RAM, further enhancing its power. With these specs on board, you won’t have to worry about running heavy apps or games on the device as it should handle everything thrown at it with ease.

7. Cheap Xiaomi Mi 5S Price

Yes, this seems to be a common highlight of all Xiaomi products. The Mi 5S is rumored to start at an amazing 1999 Yuan! If true, this would be an amazing price tag for the phone! However, to be honest, a pricing of 2499 Yuan – 2999 Yuan ($375-$450) sounds realistic. But then, Chinese manufacturers have surprised us in the past and we could see one such surprise tomorrow as well.

Do remember that there should be two phones announced tomorrow, the Mi 5S and the Mi 5S Plus!  We will be covering the Mi 5S launch tomorrow, so stay tuned to gizmochina for all updates about Xiaomi’s conference.

The post Xiaomi Mi 5S: Why You Should Be Excited For This Flagship (Top Expected Features) appeared first on Gizmochina.

According to new rumors, the Xiaomi Max will come in two versions. The top-end variant will be powered by the Snapdragon 820 chipset and there will be other features to play around as well. For example, the phablet is said to come with an all metal body with a fingerprint sensor. Now, while the company hasn’t revealed any features of the device, it is rumored that this could be Qualcomm’s Ultrasonic sensor. If true, it would join the likes of a few handsets announced that come with this sensor like the Le Max Pro and Le Max 2. Other rumored features of the Xiaomi Max include 3D Touch like pressure sensitive display with a lot more options than Apple’s iPhone 6S Plus.

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It is said that Xiaomi could be planning to call the high-end version as the Xiaomi Big and the standard version as Xiaomi Max. Further, it is rumored that a Redmi phablet is also in the works and could end up being called as the Redmi Note 4.

So, this was about the high-end Xiaomi Big. But what about the standard version? This particular model should most likely feature a less powerful processor like the Snapdragon 650, as revealed by a recent GFXBench listing. Other features are unknown but considering the chip inside, it should be mid-range.

Remember that most of the details leaked today come via rumors, so take this with a pinch of salt.

Xiaomi will officially unveil the Max, Mi Band 2 and MIUI 8 on May 10. So, looks like its going to be a busy day for Chinese tech fans.

Stay tuned for more details.

The post More Xiaomi Max Details Leaked: Two Versions, One With Snapdragon 820 appeared first on Gizmochina.