Xiaomi is reportedly working on Xiaomi 15 series smartphones for the Chinese market. Xiaomi 14 and 14 Pro were launched in October 2023 as the first smartphones equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Xiaomi 15 series may be released around the same time this year. A new leak courtesy of tipster Digital Chat Station has revealed important information about the fingerprint scanner on the Series 15.

The upcoming Xiaomi 15 series may be equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 mobile platform A new leak from DCS shows that the entire 15 series, which may include the Xiaomi 15, 15 Pro and 15 Ultra, are currently testing Goodix’s single-point ultrasonic fingerprint recognition technology . This marks a departure from the optical fingerprint technology used in the Xiaomi 14 series.

Ultrasonic fingerprint recognition works by emitting ultrasonic waves from the bottom of the screen when pressed with a finger. These waves interact with the unique ridge and valley patterns in the fingerprint. By analyzing the time it takes for these echoes to return and their intensity, the scanner creates an accurate 3D image of the fingerprint, ensuring accurate and secure authentication.

Ultrasonic fingerprint technology offers several advantages over optical fingerprint recognition, such as better penetration, water and smudge resistance, higher accuracy, support for live fingerprint detection, and improved security.

DCS stated that it is too early to confirm the inclusion of an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner in the Xiaomi 15 series, adding that the new product introduction (NPI) phase for the 15 series is planned for April, when more concrete details may emerge.

Compared to other flagship phones, Xiaomi 14 has a smaller screen of 6.36 inches. Xiaomi 15 will most likely remain a compact flagship phone. The DCS leak also suggests that rival brands may also launch similar-sized smartphones in China.