Samsung's Galaxy Note III device is scheduled to be announced this week, so it is only fitting that rumors abound concerning what we will discover. The latest technology that seems to have been identified is some type of fingerprint scanning capability for the Galaxy Note III. Twitter tipster @evleaks managed to get his hands on a list of APK files included on the forthcoming device. The list is quite long thanks to Samsung's TouchWiz interface and buried in the list is a file named FingerprintService.apk. The presence of this file would seem to imply Samsung is planning to provide the ability to scan fingerprints as part of the device's security capabilities.
Implementation of fingerprint scanners in smartphones is not a new concept as seen on the Motorola ATRIX 4G. More recently we have been witness to the on again, off again rumors regarding a fingerprint scanner included in the HTC One Max. Even Apple is supposedly exploring fingerprint scanner options for their devices. All of this activity is likely driven by the increased focus on security as smartphones and tablets begin to displace traditional computer form factors and carry more sensitive information.
source: @evleaks
I like Motorola’s Skip better because it allows the always on feature to exist and yet still have security in the event that the device is stolen. Finger print implies that the user must pick up the device and put a finger on it, hence always on would not work well in this case.