When Samsung confirmed a Galaxy Note 8 release date will happen later this 2017, the South Korean tech giant promised the unboxing will deliver distinct features and functionalities from the Galaxy S8. The Note 8 will unpack a few things that were skipped with the GS8 - that was the expectation.
However, that unlikely will be the case when the Note 8 finally arrives even as rumor persist that unlike the GS8 the former will have a dual camera and a fingerprint sensor that is embedded under the AMOLED display. The dual camera is a strong possibility as it has become a flagship standard now since Apple introduce the feature with the iPhone 7 Plus.
It's a different case though for a fingerprint reader that can detect biometrics on specific parts of the front display. To date, the feature is either found on the physical home button that is located on the chin of the device front panel or on the rear plate.
That's how the feature was rendered with the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, and according to WCCFTech it will be the same with the Note 8. "The Galaxy Note 8 is said to feature a fingerprint reader that is going to be mounted at the back because Samsung has been experiencing circuitry issues by incorporating a solution at the front," the report said.
The problem it seems is the actual implementation of the technology, the report said, citing local media reports from South Korea. "Samsung is having a hard time making an integrated circuit - a chip which should be placed under a display because of its opaque color - to read the fingerprint image on the surface of the display."
And compounding the issue is the low production yield of the components required for the Note 8's fingerprint sensor. For instance, Samsung is encountering difficulty in securing the high-grade transparency film needed to coat the sensor.
There are concerns too on security issues so the likely scenario is the Galaxy Note 8 will end up having the same fingerprint feature implementation as that of the GS8. Recall that Samsung has previously stated front display-embedded fingerprint was originally planned for the Galaxy S8 but engineers ran out of time. It looks like Samsung is confronted with the same predicament.
In the end, the Galaxy Note 8 when released might just end up as near replica of the Note 8 with the bigger screen and S Pen stylus as the few distinctions. For the front glass-embedded fingerprint readers, Sammy and Android fans alike may just have to wait for the Galaxy S9 next year, or for the Apple iPhone 8.