Samsung Unveils World's First OLED Display With Built-In Fingerprint and Blood Pressure Sensing

Samsung Display has unveiled a new generation of OLED panel that it says can recognize fingerprints anywhere on the screen and even check the user's heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels using multiple simultaneous finger readings.

samsung sensor oled display

Samsung's 'Sensor OLED Display' at SID Display Week 2023

Usually, fingerprint sensors in smartphones are attached under the display panel as a separate module and are only sensitive to fingerprint data within a limited portion of the screen. By contrast, Samsung's new "Sensor OLED Display" extends this sensitivity to the entire screen by embedding a light-sensing organic photodiode (OPD) into the panel itself.

The technology currently being shown off at SID Display Week 2023 opens up some exciting possibilities for future smartphones, such as multi-finger authentication (putting four fingers on the display, for example), which could offer several thousand million times stronger security than a single finger.

Another potential feature could be the ability to authenticate individual apps on a phone's Home Screen simply by placing a finger on the app icon to open it, replacing the need for a passcode or facial authentication.

But perhaps the most intriguing claim being made is the ability of the Sensor OLED Display to check cardiovascular health, including blood pressure when two fingers are used.

"To accurately measure a person's blood pressure, it is necessary to measure the blood pressure of both arms," notes Samsung Display's press release. "The Sensor OLED display can simultaneously sense the fingers of both hands, providing more accurate health information than existing wearable devices."

Samsung says the system works because OLED light is reflected differently depending on the contraction and relaxation of the blood vessels inside the finger, and when it returns to the panel, the OPD is able to recognize it and converts it into a blood pressure reading.

samsung blood pressure oled

'Sensor OLED Display' measuring blood pressure and heart rate

Samsung did not provide information on the accuracy rate or speed of its Sensor OLED display, nor did it explain whether the authentication and biometric readings could be taken at the same time, but the company clearly has confidence that the technology is destined for smartphones in the near future.

Could it or something similar one day appear in an iPhone? It's no secret that Apple has been working on a Touch ID system designed to be set under the display since at least 2013, with several patents awarded to the company over the years. Indeed, despite claims that under-screen Touch ID on a future iPhone is unlikely, Apple has, if anything, intensified its research in under-screen fingerprint sensing technology.

Earlier this year, Apple was granted a patent relating to under-screen Touch ID that combines shortwave infrared technology with an optical imaging system that could have multiple functions. Not only does the latest embodiment aim to read the user's fingerprint when it touches the display, it could also determine vein pattern, blood oxygenation, pulse, and the presence of gloves and wetness.

At this point, we can't be certain that Apple will ever put Touch ID under iPhone screens. There also remains a possibility that Apple instead introduces an iPhone with Touch ID built into a physical side button, in line with the latest iPad Air and iPad mini models, although there haven't been any rumors to suggest that Apple plans to follow that route.

Apple's roadmap for under-panel technology, as outlined by DSCC industry consultant Ross Young, suggests we're unlikely to see an under-screen version of Touch ID in an iPhone anytime soon. Apple appears to be more focused on moving Face ID and the front-facing camera under the display, both of which it aims to achieve by 2027.

Tag: Samsung

Popular Stories

iOS 26 on iPhone Feature

Here's When iOS 26 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: Out Now!]

Monday September 15, 2025 12:00 am PDT by
Update 10:06 a.m.: iOS 26 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Today's the day! Apple is about to release iOS 26, which will deliver the biggest redesign since iOS 7 and bring a range of new features and improvements to iPhones worldwide. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at last week's iPhone event that...
Tim Cook Rainbow

Apple Reportedly Plans to Launch These 10 Products in 'Coming Months'

Sunday September 14, 2025 8:45 am PDT by
Apple's annual September event is now in the rearview mirror, with the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, iPhone Air, Apple Watch Series 11, Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and AirPods Pro 3 set to launch this Friday, September 19. As always, there is more to come. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple plans to release many products in the...
iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

Apple Says Installing iOS 26 Might Impact Battery Life

Monday September 15, 2025 10:56 am PDT by
In the iOS 26 release notes, Apple is warning iPhone users that installing the new software might have a temporary impact on battery life, which is normal. A new support document explains that major iOS updates require background setup like indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps. Further, Apple says that new features could require more resources,...
iphone 17 lineup

iPhone 17 Models Launch on September 19 With These New Features

Friday September 12, 2025 7:58 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 lineup and ultra-thin iPhone Air in stores on Friday, September 19, and the company has already shown off the new devices at its fall event, which ran with the the tagline "Awe dropping." The iPhone 17 series brings a host of new features and enhancements. Here's a rundown of the biggest upgrades and changes: iPhone 17 Display Changes The iPhone...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 Get iOS 26 Features With New Firmware Update

Monday September 15, 2025 10:50 am PDT by
Apple today released updated firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4, introducing support for the new AirPods features that are included in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware has a build number of 8A356, and it replaces the current 7E93 firmware. With Apple's new software updates, the AirPods Pro 2 and the AirPods 4 support better audio quality for phone calls and...
apple n1 chip

Apple's New N1 Chip in iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone Air Has a Wi-Fi 7 Limitation

Saturday September 13, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
The latest iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air models are equipped with Apple's all-new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread connectivity. However, the chip has a Wi-Fi 7 bandwidth limitation. According to FCC documents reviewed by MacRumors, the N1 chip in all of the new iPhone models supports up to 160 MHz channel bandwidth for Wi-Fi 7, short of the...
iPhone 17 Pro Air Boxes

iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Boxes Revealed

Sunday September 14, 2025 1:36 pm PDT by
T-Mobile President Jon Freier today shared real-world photos of Apple's boxes for the iPhone Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 models, which launch on Friday. Image Credit: Jon Freier Apple has typically included iPhone box renders in its product environmental reports, but it did not do so for the latest models. However, Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program page does offer some images of the boxes, ...

Top Rated Comments

CausticSoda Avatar
30 months ago
Lots of people on here will probably jump in and rubbish this. I think it's great! Even if it's not perfect yet, this sort of development stops Apple from getting complacent. Competition is good.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MuppetGate Avatar
30 months ago
Game-changing … if it works as advertised.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
spartan1967 Avatar
30 months ago
Samsung continues to impress.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacWiz_007 Avatar
30 months ago
But...but...but, Apple has a yellow iPhone! ?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Roller Avatar
30 months ago
“several thousand million times stronger security”

Could it be… several billion?
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
30 months ago
Wow! Game-changing feature! Pretty impressive. Samsung is the king when it comes to screen displays. Hands down ??
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)