Vivo X21 Launches in India with In-Display Fingerprint Biometrics

“While its in-display fingerprint scanning is probably the X21’s most talked-about feature, the device is noteworthy for offering another relatively novel form of biometric authentication as well – facial recognition.”

Vivo officially launched its pioneering X21 smartphone in India today, just about a week after the country’s e-commerce giant Flipkart announced it would be the exclusive retailer of the device.

The launch marks the spread of in-display fingerprint sensor technology, for which Vivo was able to claim a world’s first when it launched its X20 Plus UD smartphone in China near the start of the year. Vivo soon followed that up with its launch of the X21 in March, but the device was again restricted to the China market, leaving the rest of the world without access to one of the splashiest new forms of biometric authentication.

Now, the Vivo X21 is available in India through Flipkart – or Vivo’s online shop – for about $530.

While its in-display fingerprint scanning is probably the X21’s most talked-about feature, the device is noteworthy for offering another relatively novel form of biometric authentication as well – facial recognition. Vivo doesn’t claim its system is as sophisticated as the infrared Face ID system of the iPhone X, but it’s certainly an emulation of it. What’s striking is that while Apple has framed Face ID as a replacement of its own pioneering fingerprint recognition system, Touch ID, Vivo has combined both modalities into its X21, demonstrating that users can have whichever authentication mechanism they prefer.

Other features of the Vivo X21 include a 6.28″ Super AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 660 chip, and a 3,200 mAh battery. The device runs on Android Oreo 8.1.

Sources: GSMArena, TechRadar

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(Originally posted on Mobile ID World)