Taiwan-based fingerprint sensor suppliers are eyeing 2016 orders from branded handset vendors, while industry leader Fingerprint Cards (FPC) has moved to lower its quotes to stay competitive, according to industry sources.

Major Taiwan-based fingerprint sensor developers including Egis Technology (Egistec), Elan Microelectronics and FocalTech Systems have been sampling their solutions with clients such as Samsung Electronics, said the sources. Samsung has already completed validation of some of their fingerprint sensors and is expected to begin placing orders later in 2016, the sources indicated.

Samsung is likely to introduce its 2016 model of Galaxy A utilizing fingerprint sensors designed and developed by Taiwan-based firms, the sources suggested.

Taiwan-based fingerprint sensor providers are also striving to grab orders from China-based smartphone vendors, as they acknowledge that fingerprint sensors will see growing adoption among locally-made phones, according to the sources. Nevertheless, as Taiwan-based firms have to rely on their local distributors in China, it would be uneasy for them to grab new orders from the region, the sources said.

Meanwhile, industry leader FPC has cut its quotes for fingerprint sensor modules to maintain market share, which would lead to a more competitive market in 2016, the sources observed.