Expert Review...
Although fingerprint readers have been around for a long time, it took until the iPhone 5S and TouchID until we got one that worked quickly and accurately. Now, fingerprint sensors are all the rage and Samsung is planning a brand-new way to use one in its Galaxy S5.
According to SamMobile, Samsung will build the fingerprint sensor into the Galaxy S5's home button and not the screen, as previously rumoured.
Rather than Apple's design, where you merely hold your finger over the button to use TouchID, Samsung's implementation will require you to run your finger slowly over the button in order to scan your fingerprint.
The first and most obvious use for the scanner is to unlock the Galaxy S5, providing a secure and simple way for people to lock their phones. However, Samsung will also recognise up to eight fingerprints and can react differently to each one.
Each fingerprint, provided one is assigned to unlock the phone, can be used to start a specific task or as an app shortcut. In effect, your hand and fingers become a way to control your phone without having to venture near the touchscreen.
Samsung also sees the fingerprint reader at the heart of other security features. These include the new privacy mode, which lets users hide personal apps, data and widgets from view; a fingerprint swipe brings them back, so only the phone's user can see them.
On top of this, the fingerprint sensor will also be used to verify your Samsung account and to authenticate to websites using the phone's browser.
From this it's clear that Samsung's trying to do more with the phone and adjust the way it's used, rather than simply focusing on improved core specifications as it did with the Samsung Galaxy S4. We only need to wait a few days to find out exactly what Samsung has in store, with the Galaxy S5 being launched on the 24 February.