How many times do you unlock your phone every day? What's your favorite unlocking method? A Showdown of Smartphone Unlock Solutions!

How many times do you unlock your phone every day? What's your favorite unlocking method? A Showdown of Smartphone Unlock Solutions!In fact, there has been intense debate within the industry regarding the advantages and disadvantages of different phone unlocking solutions. After in-depth research, I've discovered that there's a long and complex history behind this

How many times do you unlock your phone every day? What's your favorite unlocking method? A Showdown of Smartphone Unlock Solutions!

Dear readers, have you ever counted how many times you unlock your phone each day? And which unlocking method do you prefer? With major smartphone manufacturers heavily promoting "ultrasonic fingerprint" technology this year Honor even launched a combination of 3D facial recognition and ultrasonic fingerprint the most fundamental function of phone unlocking has once again become a hot topic of discussion. However, some manufacturers continue to use short-focus fingerprint unlocking across their entire product line. Interestingly, the Huawei Mate70 series has taken a different approach, equipping all its models with side-mounted fingerprint unlocking, a move that has sparked heated debate among netizens.

In fact, there has been intense debate within the industry regarding the advantages and disadvantages of different phone unlocking solutions. After in-depth research, I've discovered that there's a long and complex history behind this. The mobile phone industry initially adopted capacitive fingerprint unlocking technology, which was fast, accurate, and offered an excellent user experience. Back then, Smartisan even launched a unique design that integrated fingerprint recognition with its logo. However, with the arrival of the full-screen phone era, fingerprint recognition solutions that occupied screen space and weren't aesthetically pleasing gradually faded from view, replaced by two major camps: 3D facial recognition and under-display fingerprint unlocking.

Currently, the manufacturers primarily sticking with 3D facial recognition are Apple, Huawei, and Honor. 3D facial recognition works by using the phone's front-facing dot projector to cast numerous tiny light points, precisely recording various structural features of the face. The system then captures and analyzes this information using an infrared camera to obtain precise facial data for unlocking. Its advantage lies in its superior blind operation and unlocking experience, offering convenient and efficient operation. However, its drawbacks are equally significant: the sensor occupies a large area, making it less aesthetically pleasing compared to a single-hole design, and it's also more expensive.

In contrast, traditional 2D facial unlocking, while usable, is far less secure than 3D facial recognition. In the past, someone could even unlock a phone with just a photograph. Today, the most common and widely used solution remains optical fingerprint unlocking. The principle of optical fingerprint unlocking is relatively simple: when the sensor detects a finger pressing against the screen, it emits light to scan the fingerprint and compares the reflected light to complete the unlocking process. Unlike 3D facial recognition, optical fingerprint recognition technology has undergone numerous iterations and upgrades, giving rise to various solutions such as capacitive fingerprint unlocking, short-focus fingerprint unlocking, ultra-thin fingerprint unlocking, and ultrasonic fingerprint unlocking.

Short-focus fingerprint unlocking has the advantages of low cost and high recognition success rate, but its recognition area is located lower on the screen, resulting in a poor unlocking experience. Additionally, fingerprints with water or oil stains can significantly affect unlocking performance. Even more troublesome is the bright light emitted by the sensor at night, which can be very irritating.

This is where the evergreen technology in optical fingerprint recognition ultrasonic fingerprint recognition comes into play. It works by emitting ultrasonic waves from the under-display sensor. When a finger is detected, it generates echoes with varying energy levels, creating a 3D fingerprint image. Ultrasonic fingerprint recognition boasts speed, high recognition rates, strong anti-fouling capabilities, and doesn't emit irritating light. However, its obvious drawback is its higher cost. Some manufacturers have gone a step further, using more advanced wide-area ultrasonic fingerprint recognition, supporting half-screen unlocking and dual-finger recognition. It's important to note, however, that ultrasonic fingerprint recognition is somewhat picky about screen protectors; if the protector is too thick, it will affect the success rate of fingerprint recognition.

Some may wonder why not use ultra-thin fingerprint unlocking? The reason is it's discontinued. Frankly, I was quite disappointed to hear this news, as it was second only to ultrasonic fingerprint recognition in terms of unlocking location and experience. The main reason for its discontinuation is that the cost of ultra-thin fingerprint unlocking is now almost the same as ultrasonic fingerprint recognition technology, so manufacturers prefer the more economical short-focus solution or directly adopt the more advanced ultrasonic recognition solution.

Finally, let's discuss the side-mounted fingerprint recognition solution on the Huawei Mate70 series. Personally, I don't mind this solution and even find it convenient. However, some believe that equipping a flagship phone with such a "low-end" solution damages the brand image. I boldly speculate that Huawei chose the side-mounted fingerprint unlocking solution because the internal component stacking in the Mate70 series is too dense to accommodate an under-display fingerprint sensor without sacrificing battery capacity or phone thickness. Fortunately, Huawei retained the 3D facial recognition solution, whose recognition speed and rate are industry-leading. Furthermore, Huawei's self-developed ultrasonic fingerprint recognition technology is nearing mass production, and is expected to be launched next year.

In conclusion, as one of the most frequently used phone operations, an excellent unlocking solution undoubtedly enhances user satisfaction with the brand. Finally, we welcome you to share your favorite smartphone unlocking method.

Disclaimer: Original work, for reference only.