KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S5 will attempt to take on Apple’s flagship iPhone 5s with an embedded fingerprint sensor, but says he thinks the device will still sport a plastic shell and a 32-bit processor.
According to a research note obtained by AppleInsider, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Samsung needs a fingerprint verification system to keep up with the market’s rush toward on-board biometrics spurred by the iPhone 5s.
Apple’s Touch ID was not the first biometric security feature implemented in a mobile device, however it did spark a trend via its mostly reliable and simple to use feature.
Kuo says Samsung will most likely use fingerprint recognition technology built by Validity Sensors, which was purchased by touchpad company Synaptics last year.
Kuo says fingerprint reading tech is “necessary for a star model,” so a flagship model phone cannot lack the tech, even if the solution isn’t as mature as Touch ID.
Kuo sees Samsung offering two models, with differences in processor type, display resolution, and memory. Both models will boast a 5.2-inch display, with the top-end version using a WQHD AMOLED panel with a pixel density of 565 pixels per inch.
Other features will include a 16-megapixel rear camera, the same plastic shell as last years flagship, the Galaxy S4, and the whole shebang will be powered by a Exynos 5430 processor built on Samsung’s 20nm process and 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM to assist with pixel pushing.
Kuo doesn’t agree with rumors of iris scanning technology for this generation of Samsung’s flagship handset, as he believes the company is not prepared to offer that as yet.
