Xiaomi is working on two Android One devices with a fingerprint scanner in the screen. Probably the successors of the Xiaomi Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite.
Xiaomi Mi A3 fingerprint scanner gets an upgrade
In the source code of Xiaomi software, XDA Developers has discovered references to two new devices, with code names ‘bamboo_sprout’ and ‘cosmos_sprout’. They are almost certainly Android One devices because Xiaomi always indicates them internally with the ‘sprout’ name. Both smartphones also indicate that they have a ‘food’, an abbreviation for ‘fingerprint on display’.
This makes it almost certain that the Xiaomi Mi A3 and Mi A3 Lite will be released with a fingerprint scanner in the screen. Only devices in the MiA series run on Android One, a version of Android with minimal changes from the manufacturer and faster updates. Moreover, it is obvious that both smartphones will be released soon: the Mi A2 and Mi A2 Lite appeared almost a year ago in the spring of 2018.
An optical scanner in the screen
The previous models in the series were still equipped with a fingerprint scanner on the back, under the camera. Now Xiaomi probably opts for an optical scanner in the screen. A small camera then takes a picture of your finger as soon as it is placed on the image and compares it with a previously made scan. Such a scanner is also included in the Samsung Galaxy A50 and OnePlus 6T.
According to XDA Developers, both the Xiaomi Mi A3 and Mi A3 Lite get a 32-megapixel selfie camera in front. The screen fills almost the entire front, with a small notch on top where the selfie camera fits. Other specifications of the two smartphones are still unknown.
The Xiaomi Mi A3 and Mi A3 Lite will probably be presented in May or June, exactly one year after the introduction of their predecessors. The affordable Android smartphones probably both cost less than 300 euros. Before that happens, the company will first release the Xiaomi Mi 9 next week. The company has been active on the Dutch market since this spring.