Samsung Unveils World's First OLED Display With Built-In Fingerprint and Blood Pressure Sensing

Samsung Display has unveiled a new generation of OLED panel that it says can recognize fingerprints anywhere on the screen and even check the user's heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels using multiple simultaneous finger readings.

samsung sensor oled display

Samsung's 'Sensor OLED Display' at SID Display Week 2023

Usually, fingerprint sensors in smartphones are attached under the display panel as a separate module and are only sensitive to fingerprint data within a limited portion of the screen. By contrast, Samsung's new "Sensor OLED Display" extends this sensitivity to the entire screen by embedding a light-sensing organic photodiode (OPD) into the panel itself.

The technology currently being shown off at SID Display Week 2023 opens up some exciting possibilities for future smartphones, such as multi-finger authentication (putting four fingers on the display, for example), which could offer several thousand million times stronger security than a single finger.

Another potential feature could be the ability to authenticate individual apps on a phone's Home Screen simply by placing a finger on the app icon to open it, replacing the need for a passcode or facial authentication.

But perhaps the most intriguing claim being made is the ability of the Sensor OLED Display to check cardiovascular health, including blood pressure when two fingers are used.

"To accurately measure a person's blood pressure, it is necessary to measure the blood pressure of both arms," notes Samsung Display's press release. "The Sensor OLED display can simultaneously sense the fingers of both hands, providing more accurate health information than existing wearable devices."

Samsung says the system works because OLED light is reflected differently depending on the contraction and relaxation of the blood vessels inside the finger, and when it returns to the panel, the OPD is able to recognize it and converts it into a blood pressure reading.

samsung blood pressure oled

'Sensor OLED Display' measuring blood pressure and heart rate

Samsung did not provide information on the accuracy rate or speed of its Sensor OLED display, nor did it explain whether the authentication and biometric readings could be taken at the same time, but the company clearly has confidence that the technology is destined for smartphones in the near future.

Could it or something similar one day appear in an iPhone? It's no secret that Apple has been working on a Touch ID system designed to be set under the display since at least 2013, with several patents awarded to the company over the years. Indeed, despite claims that under-screen Touch ID on a future iPhone is unlikely, Apple has, if anything, intensified its research in under-screen fingerprint sensing technology.

Earlier this year, Apple was granted a patent relating to under-screen Touch ID that combines shortwave infrared technology with an optical imaging system that could have multiple functions. Not only does the latest embodiment aim to read the user's fingerprint when it touches the display, it could also determine vein pattern, blood oxygenation, pulse, and the presence of gloves and wetness.

At this point, we can't be certain that Apple will ever put Touch ID under iPhone screens. There also remains a possibility that Apple instead introduces an iPhone with Touch ID built into a physical side button, in line with the latest iPad Air and iPad mini models, although there haven't been any rumors to suggest that Apple plans to follow that route.

Apple's roadmap for under-panel technology, as outlined by DSCC industry consultant Ross Young, suggests we're unlikely to see an under-screen version of Touch ID in an iPhone anytime soon. Apple appears to be more focused on moving Face ID and the front-facing camera under the display, both of which it aims to achieve by 2027.

Tag: Samsung

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

CausticSoda Avatar
21 months ago
Lots of people on here will probably jump in and rubbish this. I think it's great! Even if it's not perfect yet, this sort of development stops Apple from getting complacent. Competition is good.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MuppetGate Avatar
21 months ago
Game-changing … if it works as advertised.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spartan1967 Avatar
21 months ago
Samsung continues to impress.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacWiz_007 Avatar
21 months ago
But...but...but, Apple has a yellow iPhone! ?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Roller Avatar
21 months ago
“several thousand million times stronger security”

Could it be… several billion?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
21 months ago
Wow! Game-changing feature! Pretty impressive. Samsung is the king when it comes to screen displays. Hands down ??
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)