Prints charming

The rise of biometrics in the smartphone

Question. Which, if any, of the methods listed below have you used to identify yourself when unlocking your phone, authorising mobile payments or other transactions?

Source: UK edition, Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey, May–Jun 2016
Weighted base: Respondents who own or have access to a smartphone (3,251)

The fingerprint is one of a set of biometric identifiers that can be used as a password substitute. On smartphones it has proven by far the most popular. It is fast, less subject to ambient conditions and inconspicuous. The fingerprint sensor matches the applied print to images stored securely on the device.

By contrast, voice recognition may not work when used in a noisy area and may be distracting when used in the company of friends or colleagues. Facial recognition requires similar lighting conditions to those in which the reference images were taken; if not, false negatives are likely. According to our research, only two per cent of smartphone owners have used either voice or facial recognition on their smartphones to unlock their phone or authorise a mobile payment or another transaction.

We expect ownership of fingerprint readers to continue increasing rapidly. Many millions of people are likely to acquire a handset with a fingerprint reader over the coming year (either as a new or second-hand phone) and some people who currently have a fingerprint reader may start using it, as more apps offer this functionality.