According to a report on the XDA Developer forums, it looks like Chinese smartphone giant Xiaomi is looking to incorporate an in-display fingerprint sensor into some of their upcoming Android One phones.
For those of you unfamiliar with Google’s Android One initiative, these are phones with the most basic Stock Android operating system but which Google guarantees will receive Android OS updates and monthly security updates for two years after purchase.
Some of the phones included in the program are the Nokia 9 Pureview, LG G7 One, Nokia 7.1, and Nokia 8.1.
The site reports that Xiaomi is working on some prototype phones with codenames such as “Pyxis,” “cosmos_sprout,” and “bamboo_sprout.” According to XDA-Developers Portal Editor-in-Chief Mishaal Rahman, the sprout suffix likely refers to Android One phones and the Pyxis is most likely the Chinese variant for one of the phones (and would therefore not have access to the Google Play Store and would need to abide by other Chinese smartphone regulations).
Rahman reports that all three phones are being tested with in-display fingerprint sensors. This also means that the devices will come with OLED displays, and therefore a pretty high price tag. Expect these phones to be in the $699 – $999 range.
The report also suggests that the phones could come with 32MP selfie cameras. Whether the company will house the camera in a notch, a slider, or a pop-up camera is still the big question. While the processor and other components of the smartphone couldn’t be identified, if they want to try to keep the cost low, XDA believes that the phones will carry mid-range CPU’s like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600/700 series processors.
Xioami will have to perform a very tricky balancing act if they’re going to use one of the most expensive display panels to make the in-display fingerprint sensor work. While other details of the phone are still anyone’s guess, Xiaomi could give the competition a run for their money if they can release a phone with these specifications at a reasonable price.
