Google Pixel 8’s blindingly bright fingerprint sensor another reason for Pixel 9 to get upgraded ultrasonic scanner

Have you ever felt that the Google Pixel 8’s fingerprint scanner is so bright that it is even annoying in certain situations? You are not alone, since there are others who call it ‘blindingly bright’, being one of the potential points of improvement for the next Pixel 9 series.

Since the introduction of in-display fingerprint readers on Google Pixel phones, they have used optical technology, which means they need to ‘fire’ a flash of light to detect your fingerprint patterns and unlock the device. This is the type of system used in most Android smartphones today, and the Pixel 8 series is no exception.

However, according to reports, the flash of light from the Pixel 8’s fingerprint sensor is too bright, proving especially annoying in dark rooms. While light flash is inevitable in any optical fingerprint sensor, the Pixel 8 series one seems to be on the ‘too much’ side.

There’s a more advanced and efficient alternative used by some Android devices: an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. As its name suggests, this system works by sending inaudible ultrasonic pulses instead of flashes of light to map and detect your fingerprint pattern, avoiding impact on the eyes and at the same time gaining efficiency (they are generally faster).

Therefore, facing the future Pixel 9 series, an ultrasonic scanner is becoming an imperative instead of the Pixel 8’s optical fingerprint sensor, at least on the Pixel 9 Pro. After all, Pixel ‘Pro’ models are getting more and more expensive, so the inclusion of an ultrasonic scanner would help better justify the price increase.

It should be noted that optical fingerprint readers work in such a way that the more powerful the light they emit, the more precise they are. So, the Pixel 8’s optical fingerprint sensor should work admirably well in all situations, right? Well, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

One of the most common complaints from Google Pixel users in the latest generations (including the Pixel 8 series) is the functioning of the fingerprint sensor, being quite common to require multiple attempts to successfully unlock the device.

So, the reliability of the Pixel 8’s fingerprint sensor does not seem to justify the ‘blinding light’ it emits, and the best solution for future generations (like the Pixel 9 series) seems to be the adoption of an ultrasonic scanner.

If the vanilla Pixel 9 is launched at the same aggressive price as the current Pixel 8 ($699), then it would be understandable for the company to omit the inclusion of an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner. However, considering that the Pixel 8 Pro launched for $999, the absence of this improvement on the Pixel 9 Pro would be difficult to justify.

Will 2024 be the year when Google Pixel fans finally get a top-notch biometric unlocking experience through the inclusion of an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor on the Pixel 9 series? We will have to wait a few months to find out.