In its war against Apple et al, Samsung is dragging the production of more and more smartphone components under its own banner.
Samsung has been developing fingerprint sensor chips since last year, with a view to begin manufacturing the new tech in 2017. That’s according to a new report from ETNews, a news outlet based in Samsung’s home of South Korea. The chips are reportedly being created by Samsung’s System LSI business, which builds components destined for electronic devices. Of course, we can’t verify this information, so take it with due caution.
It’s the latest news in what appears to be a series of Samsung efforts to keep third-party suppliers at arm’s length. The most notable example in recent times was Samsung’s decision to start using its own custom-built Exynos processors in the flagship Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S7 smartphones, rather than solely relying on market leading chip maker Qualcomm.
But Samsung also manufactures its own displays, batteries, and other vital smartphone components that give it a leg up over rivals. Apple has made similar moves, recently opting to include Intel-built modems in the iPhone 7, rather than relying on Qualcomm modems, as it has historically done.
Samsung currently sources its fingerprint sensors from Synaptics, a market giant that shares industry dominance with Sweden’s FPC. If Samsung can build its own chips, it will mean future Galaxy smartphones could cost less to produce – although there’s no guarantee that this saving would be passed onto you, the consumer.
But Samsung is also likely to sell its wares to other third-parties, giving the giant an additional revenue stream in case the corporate giant’s mobile business turns sour, as it did with the recently recalled Galaxy Note 7.
We’ve asked Samsung for comment, and will update this article with any response.