If privacy and security is on top in your priority features list, you will really want to have a fingerprint scanner in your Smartphone. Top Smartphone manufacturers are now getting the wind of what their customers want and they have started offering a fingerprint sensor in some of their Smartphones. Motorola is the first company to offer this facility in its flagship Smartphone. In 2011, among Android phones, Atrix became the standard-bearer by getting this feature.
Apple followed Motorola adding a fingerprint reader in its Flagship phone iPhone 5s in 2013 and naming it as Touch ID. Soon HTC joined this club by launching One Max just one month after the release of iPhone 5S. iPhone 5S, However, touch ID got praise and HTC failed to deliver a reliable and accurate scanner. Samsung had been silent regarding fingerprint sensor technology as it had not added this feature in its Flagship devices Note 3 and Galaxy S4. Smartphone world was expecting Samsung, Sony and LG to deliver this feature in their high-end devices but things didn’t change in 2013 as far as the aforesaid companies and fingerprint sensor were concerned.
In April 2014, Samsung finally launched a phone that boasted fingerprint sensor and that was Galaxy S5. Galaxy S5 featured a fingerprint sensor that worked just like iPhone 5S touch ID as its fingerprint sensor was also located on front panel near home button. But its method of working was different. To unlock the phone using touch ID, you need to put the finger on Home button, but to unlock the phone using Samsung fingerprint scanner you need to swipe the finger from top to bottom of the sensor.
When Touch ID and Samsung scanner were compared, experts found that touch ID was fairly more accurate than Samsung scanner and thus Samsung lost to Apple in fingerprint sensor technology.
Here we have listed all available Fingerprint reader enabled Smartphones.
ELEPHONE G6
Elephone is not a well know brand but all of its handsets sound powerful, elegant and feature rich like that of other Chinese brands e.g. Huawei, OnePlus, Xiaomi etc. Elephone G6 may completely woo you by its low price and high-end features. It is a fingerprint scanner enabled phone with which you can lock home screen and apps as well. Sensor is located at its rear. This HD smartphone is pretty affordable and can be bought under $150.
Price – around $150 / 8500 INR
MOTOROLA ATRIX
If you want to buy the cheapest fingerprint sensor phone, Atrix 4G is here for you. You can buy it by just shelling out only around $100 or less. Atrix Sensor is located on top of rear panel and it is fairly accurate in working. You need to swipe your finger on sensor to unlock.
Note – Atrix is an outdated phone though, having very old software Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
APPLE IPHONE 5S, IPHONE 6 AND 6 PLUS
Apple offered fingerprint sensor in iPhone 5s and now it seems to be adding this feature to its all present and future devices. iPhone fingerprint reader is called as Touch ID and it is considered one of the most accurate fingerprint sensor.
Pricing
iPhone 5s – $600
iPhone 6 – Starting from $770
iPhone 6 Plus – $1055
HTC ONE MAX
One Max is a big size phone from HTC and HTC implemented fingerprint sensor in it following Apple. In this phone, sensor is located on rear just below the camera. It has been found in reviews that One Max sensor is not so accurate as Apple Touch ID.
Price – $499
SAMSUNG GALAXY S5
It is the first Smartphone from Samsung that gets this sensor. Sensor is located on home button on front side and we need to swipe our finger from top to bottom to unlock the phone. It is observed that this sensor is not so much user-friendly and it works only if finger is swiped accurately on the sensor and if your finger is slightly misplaced on the sensor it may not detect your fingerprint.
Price – around $550
SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 4 AND NOTE EDGE
Having panned by critics, Samsung seems to have worked hard to improve its fingerprint sensor hardware and it has been successful to a great extent as Note 4 fingerprint reader is fairly better than that of Galaxy S5. Note 4 users have reported that it is accurate over 95%.
Pricing
Note 4 – $770 (around)
Note Edge – $1051 (around)
Other Samsung Fingerprint sensor enabled Smartphones
- Galaxy Alpha
- Galaxy S5 Mini
- Galaxy S5 Plus
HUAWEI ASCEND MATE 7
Ascend Mate 7 has been the talk of the town since its release in September 2014. Huawei wowed the world with its amazing fingerprint reader that is highly accurate. Tech gurus found that it is the most accurate fingerprint reader to date. The important attraction of this sensor is that it is a 360 degree working fingerprint sensor – i.e you can put your finger on the sensor at any angle and it works. You need not to swipe your finger on the sensor, too. Juts put your finger on sensor and the phone is unlocked. Other major advantage of Huawei sensor is that in addition to locking entire phone, you can also lock any individual app with your fingerprint.
Pricing (around)
16 GB version – $600
32 GB version – $800
XOLO Q2100
India based premium Smartphone maker company Xolo added a fingerprint sensor to its budget phone Xolo Q2100. In fact Xolo Q2100 is the cheapest 2014 fingerprint sensor enabled phone that can be bought for under $200. It is located on back and has been found pretty accurate in testing.
Price – $210 (around)
MEIZU MX4 PRO
Just like Ascend Mate 7, Meizu MX4 Pro is the another Smartphone that comes with one touch unlocker fingerprint sensor. Located on the front panel home button, it is another highly accurate fingerprint sensor.
Price – $450 (expected)
OPPO N3
Oppo N3 has a fingerprint sensor on its rear panel and you can lock entire phone or any single application with its fingerprint scanner. Its sensor is reportedly more convenient than that of others, however, its method of working is different as it is called hybrid sensor. You need to press your finger on it to get it to work instead of swipe or just by placing the finger. Oppo N3 is up for sale since November 2014.
Price – $650 (around)
