Windows 10 Mobile will get fingerprint support in Anniversary Update

Windows 10 Mobile lacks many features that Android and iOS users take for granted, and one that stands out (like a sore thumb) is fingerprint scanning. But this week, the Redmond company announced that its looking to rectify that by mid-2016.

The news comes courtesy of an announcement at the company’s WinHEC conference (pdf, first spotted by MSPowerUser). The update will arrive with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update slated for a Northern summer launch. It will likely launch before Windows 10 loses its free upgrade option on 29 July.

The real problem with this is however quite clear: not all that many Windows 10 phones boast fingerprint readers.

This move definitely opens the door for future phones, namely the likes of the long-rumoured Microsoft Surface Phone. Luckily, there’s at least one phone that will take advantage of the update: HP’s Elite X3, possibly the most promising Windows 10 device on paper available.

Although Windows 10 phones do boast pretty cool credential management systems, including Windows Hello and the iris scanning system on the likes of the Microsoft Lumia 950 series, fingerprint scanning is fast becoming a standard feature on most mid-to-upper range devices.