The OnePlus 6 has only been available to purchase since May 2018, but manufacturer OnePlus is already working on a premium variant of the handset. Known as the OnePlus 6T, it will include several upgrades, the most notable being a display-embedded fingerprint reader.
OnePlus hasn’t revealed many details regarding its upcoming OnePlus 6T handset. Last week, however, a leaked photo of the device’s box appeared online. The box revealed a similar design as the dual-SIM Oppo F9. However, the box also suggests that the OnePlus 6T will feature a fingerprint reader. If true, the OnePlus 6T may become the first smartphone available in the United States to have this feature.
During an email correspondence with CNET, a OnePlus executive confirmed that the OnePlus 6T will feature a display-embedded fingerprint reader. According to the executive, users can unlock their OnePlus 6T by touching a digital fingerprint icon on the display. Known as Screen Unlock, it’s designed to protect users’ devices from security vulnerabilities while simplifying the task of unlocking.
Security has become a major concern for mobile device manufacturers. A recent Gallup survey found that 28 percent of mobile device users don’t lock their screen or take other measures to protect against security vulnerabilities. When an unlocked device is lost or stolen, there’s a greater risk of someone accessing the user’s personal data and using it for nefarious purposes.
But many users struggle to remember the PIN to unlock their mobile device. If a user can’t remember his or her PIN, they won’t be able to use their device. To prevent this from happening, OnePlus has pioneered a fingerprint reader for use in the OnePlus 6T. Rather than entering a PIN or performing complicated hand gestures in front of a camera, users simply press their index finger on the digital fingerprint icon to unlock their device.
Of course, there are already mobile devices that feature a fingerprint reader. The OnePlus 6T is different, however, because it features a fingerprint reader in the display. Nearly all mobile devices with a fingerprint reader have a dedicated, separate scanner that’s located either above or below the display. The OnePlus 6T’s fingerprint reader, on the other hand, will be embedded directly into the display itself.