Let’s revisit the Motorola Rizr concept with a new patent for full-screen fingerprint authentication.
We have optical and ultrasonic fingerprint sensors on many smartphones, but we haven’t seen one with a screen-wide fingerprint sensing in commercial markets. That’s where Motorola is banking on with a newly filed patent.
According to a report, the company filed the patent “Managing consistent fingerprint-on-display (fod) location on a rollable device having multiple fod sensors.” It hints at a very advanced type of fingerprint authentication system capable of supporting rollable smartphones.
For example, when a user rolls the display, the fingerprint authentication works on the whole screen because of several sensors spread across it. So, no matter where you tap, registered prints will be detected.
Back in MWC 2023, the Motorola Rizr concept was showcased by a 5-inch device with a 15:9 aspect ratio that can expand to 6.5-inch diagonally and get a 22:9 aspect ratio. A single button enables it to expand and shrink with the display wrapping itself at the phone’s back. It’s a contrast to most demoed rollables expanding from the sides.
The Motorola Rizr is an interesting take because users can easily expand the screen to meet their specific needs, like watching content on a bigger display. But they can shrink it if they just want to take a glance of notifications and whatnot. The device will also be compact enough for their pocket.
So, is the Motorola Rizr launching soon? Not really since many filed patents don’t usually lead to commercial releases. They may, however, serve as a preparatory for future plans. At least, we have an idea where flexible screens will lead us to.
