Xiaomi’s upcoming Ultra flagship, Xiaomi 14 Ultra, may finally adopt the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. However, it may not be at the same level as the wideband ultrasound solutions that Vivo uses in some of its new flagships. Vivo’s large-field ultrasound machine can maintain its advantage over Xiaomi’s single-point ultrasound solution

Speaking of the latest flagships, the Xiaomi 14, Vivo X100 and Vivo X100 Pro, as well as the iQOO 12, also consistently use optical fingerprint recognition under the display. While these devices have impressive overall performance, user feedback suggests fingerprint recognition could be improved.

According to reports, Xiaomi has started testing the single-point ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. While its use in Xiaomi’s upcoming device remains unclear and is currently being actively tested, there’s a good chance it will be used for its ultra-flagship planned for next year. This will be Xiaomi’s second project using the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor.

Xiaomi’s history with ultrasonic fingerprint technology dates back to 2016, when it launched the world’s first non-porous ultrasonic fingerprint scanner on the Xiaomi 5s. Although the technology is a major selling point, it has faced challenges due to its early development stage which has led to some problems. Since then, Xiaomi has been using under-display optical fingerprint technology on its devices, including its high-end flagships.

However, with the development of technology, ultrasonic fingerprint recognition solutions have improved over time, leaving the speed and reliability of optical alternatives behind.

It is also worth noting that there is a noticeable difference between the single-point ultrasound offered by Xiaomi and the wide-field ultrasound used by vivo in its previous models. The upcoming Vivo X100 Pro+ is expected to continue the legacy of wide-area ultrasonic fingerprinting.