What's wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S8's fingerprint scanner?

The reviews of the Samsung Galaxy S8 are now out, and the verdict seems to be mostly positive. Not everything was positive, however, with some reviewers having negative things to say about the fingerprint sensor.

One reviewer at The Verge described the S8 as having the “least reliable, most frustrating, biometric security measures I’ve ever tested.” This was in part due to the fingerprint sensor’s awkward placement on the rear of the phone, and also due to the sensors repeatedly not recognizing the reviewer’s fingerprints. Another reviewer at The Verge described the fingerprint scanner’s placement as “exceedingly poor” and had nothing positive to say about the iris-scanning feature or face-scanning options either, finding them to be “slower and less reliable” than more popular methods of unlocking the phone, such as a numerical password or pattern.

Reviewers at ZDNet echoed these sentiments, with one saying that he wished he could move the fingerprint scanner to the middle of the phone instead of its current location next to the camera lens. This may be partly the reason why so many users are getting inconsistent results with the fingerprint scanners. Samsung said this location was chosen because the battery prevented it from being placed any lower. Perhaps in a rush to go bezel-less, Samsung has had to make compromises to usability. The question remains as to whether this minor complaint will affect Samsung’s sales in any way, but it seems unlikely.

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