The latest Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra flagship phones feature a newer and faster ultrasonic fingerprint sensor compared to last year’s Galaxy S23 line. According to “X” leaker Ice Universe, the Galaxy S24 Ultra uses the QFS4008 fingerprint sensor from Qualcomm, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra employs the QBT2608 fingerprint sensor.

Both sensors have the same size (8 × 8 mm) and thickness of .15mm (µ150). Qualcomm’s product page for the fingerprint sensor states that it uses sound waves to read a finger’s valleys and ridges, transmitting an ultrasonic pulse against the finger to create a detailed 64mm2 reproduction of the scanned fingerprint for quick and easy security performance.

A video of the Galaxy S24 Ultra by Wekihome reveals differences between the sensors used on the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra, which could explain why the fingerprint sensor on the newer model feels faster.

It’s worth noting that not all Android flagship phones use faster and more accurate ultrasonic fingerprint sensors. For example, Google continues to use an optical sensor that takes a photo of the user’s fingerprint and converts it into digital data for comparison. While this has improved with each release, optical sensors still lag behind ultrasonic sensors in terms of speed and accuracy.

Aside from being faster than optical fingerprint sensors, ultrasonic sensors are also more accurate and secure. Qualcomm states that its 3D Sonic ultrasonic fingerprint sensors reflect unique features of a user’s individual fingerprint, making them less susceptible to spoofing compared to optical solutions.

In summary, with its upgraded ultrasonic fingerprint sensor technology, Samsung is setting new standards for speed, accuracy, and security in smartphone biometric authentication.