This is equivalent to a compound annual growth rate of 31 percent over the full period.
Demand is being led by Apple’s iPhone for which Apple makes the sensors, the market researcher said, although Fingerprint Cards AB (Gothenburg, Sweden) rose to challenge second-ranked supplier Synaptics Inc. in 2015.
Fingerprint sensors, used primarily for mobile device login and payment security systems and can be found on Apple’s iPhone as well as on other smartphones and to a lesser extent tablet computers and notebook computers.
The market is expected to boom in the coming years although competition will increase price erosion to the end of the decade, according to Jamie Fox, a principal analyst for IHS Technology.
Apple makes its own fingerprint sensors having acquired Authentec in 2012 and is the market leader by way of its internal demand for the iPhone 6S and iPad product lines. Synaptics is Samsung’s supplier and Fingerprint Cards gained ground in 2015 by way of its sales to Chinese customers.
"As more smartphone brands have adopted fingerprint sensors, the market has expanded, and FPC reacted very quickly to the industry’s trend, shifting away from swipe sensors," Fox said in a statement. "FPC’s strong customer-base in China also helped catapult the company into the top three fingerprint sensor makers in 2015."
The market for fingerprint sensors relies on capacitive sensors at present. However, led by Qualcomm, ultrasonic sensors that are more resistant to user impersonation will soon enter the market. "InvenSense is another company to watch because it is expected to introduce its own line of ultrasonic fingerprint sensors in 2017," Fox said.
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