Why the Samsung Galaxy S8's fingerprint sensor is in such an awful spot

Ever since leaked images showed us the terrible placement of the fingerprint sensor on the upcoming Galaxy S8, we've been trying to figure out why Samsung would make such an awful, user-hostile design choice.

And now we may know why.

According to The Investor, Samsung originally planned to embed the fingerprint sensor into the S8's display, but had to scrap the plan after Synaptics "ran out of time" to deliver its new on-screen fingerprint scanning technology.

The report says Samsung poured resources into helping Synaptics develop the new fingerprint sensing technology for the S8, but the "results were frustrating" according to an insider source.

As a result of Synaptics' failure, Samsung was reportedly forced to move the fingerprint sensor from the front of the S8 to the backside, or do without a fingerprint sensor at all.

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As Mashable detailed last year, Synaptics, the California-based company behind many of the world's fingerprint sensors, trackpads and touchscreens, has been developing optical-based fingerprint scanners that can detect fingerprints through glass.

The new sensor will allow for future phones without physical home buttons/fingerprint sensors, which also means room for larger displays and smaller bezels. Instead of pressing on a space-hogging button, users would just place their finger on top of the screen to authenticate.

The S8's horrible fingerprint sensor location, however, could give Apple's iPhone 8 the edge when it launches later this year.

The iPhone 8 is rumored to have a larger OLED screen that fits inside of a body that's roughly the size of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7.

A recent report claims Apple has chosen not to use new fingerprint sensors from Synaptics or Qualcomm and instead will use a new custom embedded fingerprint sensor from Authentec. If true, that would be the two largest phone makers shunning Synaptics, which could suggest it really has development problems.

As terrible as the S8's fingerprint sensor placement is, it might not be a big deal. Samsung's expected to unveil an improved iris scanner and face-detection features that use the front-facing camera to authenticate and unlock the S8. With this in mind, it's entirely possible that the back-sided fingerprint sensor is on the phone just as a backup, and you might not use it that much.