Fingerprint Cards (FPC) has launched the FPC1268, a new touch fingerprint sensor that can be mounted under the cover glass of a smartphone. The FPC1268 is a new touch fingerprint sensor in the FPC1200 series with FPC OneTouch.Jörgen Lantto, President and CEO of FPC, comments: “FPC1268 shows our technology once more extending the barriers of what fingerprint sensors have enabled to date. Using FPC1268, smartphone manufacturers will be able to completely embed the fingerprint sensor beneath the cover glass of the smartphone, enabling new innovative industrial designs.”Thanks to its cost effective design as well as the ease of integrating FPC1268 together with the cover glass of the smartphone, FPC1268 enables a highly cost competitive solution for embedding a fingerprint sensor under the cover glass. We are looking forward to seeing the launch of flagship smartphones using FPC1268 during the second half of 2016 and in 2017.”The development of smartphones using the new sensor has been started by lead smartphone manufacturers and the first commercial devices are expected to reach the market in second half of 2016.The introduction of the new FPC1268 touch fingerprint sensor enables manufacturers of smartphones and other devices to further extend the design language of integrating fingerprint sensors in the device.Using FPC1268, the fingerprint sensor can be covered by standard cover glass used in smartphones, in the non-active part below the display. FPC1268 can be completely hidden under the cover glass of the smartphone allowing for fingerprint capability without a dedicated button. Alternatively FPC1268 can be used as home button covered by glass.The firm added that the first release of FPC1268 will enable cover glass of 300 µm, however the sensor technology used in FPC1268 extends to enable cover glass of up to 400 µm.Full qualification of FPC1268 is planned for Q2 2016 and the first smartphones are planned for commercial launch during the second half 2016. FPC1268 will be demonstrated to invited guests during Mobile World Congress inBarcelona February 22-25, 2016.