The XPS 15 9560's fingerprint scanner has gone AWOL (updated with official response from Dell)

14/1/2017: Updated with an official response from Dell (see end of article)

The much-awaited updated XPS 15 is up for order on Dell.com, but if you've ordered the updated version of one of the best Windows laptops around expecting to log in with the press of a finger, you might be in for a surprising disappointment: despite earlier promotional materials on Dell's website and display models at CES showing the contrary, it would seem that the XPS 9560 is not currently shipping with a fingerprint scanner, according to Dell XPS-line GM Frank Azor.

The current promotional website for the XPS 9560 no longer carries any mention of the (previously optional) fingerprint scanner, but customers are understandably confused, given that fingerprint scanner drivers are available on the support page—and it had been advertised as including one. Reddit user kbcastillo shared a chat transcript with a Dell representative, who claimed that the XPS 15 would have a fingerprint scanner "on the left side portion of the touch pad", but that it would need to be "activated" by a call to support after it arrived. This information contrasts with the unit on display at CES, which had the fingerprint scanner upper-right area of the palm rest.

To further muddy the waters, a direct inquiry (via twitter) to Alienware and XPS GM Frank Azor received this reply: "No, it does not come with fingerprint reader yet". The mystery will be solved once the first units start to arrive to customers, but it's a shame that the launch of one of the finest ambassadors of Windows computing, the XPS 15, could be marred by confusion and disappointment.

A Dell representative reached out to Notebookcheck in an email to clear up confusion regarding the fingerprint sensors:

"...the fingerprint reader will be available starting the first week of February.  That component (the reader itself) wasn’t ready for the very first production wave of the new XPS 15. That fingerprint reader is coming for both the XPS 15 (9560) and XPS 13 (9360) to give them Windows Hello capability.  Note that the reader is already included on ALL XPS 13 2-in-1s (9365)."

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