Huawei has filed a patent for a new type of fingerprint sensor for smartwatches. The sensor would be built into the watch’s display and could recognize fingerprints from any angle. The technology would allow users to register multiple fingerprints.
Each finger could be assigned to trigger different actions. For example, tapping a message with your thumb, index finger, or middle finger could call the sender, reply, or close the message. The patent also describes using finger gestures to control the watch.
Twisting your index finger on the screen could adjust settings like volume and brightness. Currently, most smartwatches rely on PIN codes for security when making contactless payments.
Huawei’s smartwatch fingerprint innovation
Huawei’s fingerprint sensor could streamline this process. The watch would simply prompt for a fingerprint scan to authorize transactions through apps like Google Wallet. Other companies have explored similar ideas in the past.
Samsung patented an under-display fingerprint sensor for smartwatches back in 2018. More recently, Apple filed a patent in 2022 for a fingerprint reader built into the watch’s side button. However, neither company has released a product with the technology yet.
It remains to be seen if Huawei will actually bring this feature to market. The company’s products have limited availability outside of Asia. So even if Huawei does release a watch with a fingerprint sensor, it may be some time before the technology becomes widely accessible to global consumers.
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