June 3, 2004
Fingerprint-recognition technology for cell phones
Phred Dvorak for the WSJ, tested a Japanese Fujitsu phone for DoCoMo with fingerprint-recognition technology.
"To register your print, you slide the tip of your finger over a strip-shaped sensor three times. (The handset tells you if you're sliding too fast or too slowly.) You can register up to 10 prints (for your 10 fingers), although the finger you use to unlock the phone must match the fingerprint that locked it.
Almost every time I tested the function on the F900i, the handset recognized my print without a hitch. Two friends who tested the phone also had no problems, once they got a feel for how fast to slide their fingers.
Right now, fingerprint recognition is mostly a novelty. But with NTT DoCoMo and other carriers planning services that will turn the cellphone into an electronic wallet, it could soon become an important security feature."
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