Video pits Apple’s Touch ID against Samsung’s Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner

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Following the debut of the iPhone 5s and its Touch ID fingerprint scanner in October last year, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S5 with its own fingerprint recognition tech. The handset was unveiled last month, and is slated to launch for major carriers on April 11.

The two scanners are quite different, with Touch ID requiring a press-and-hold action and Samsung’s solution more of a swiping motion, but they essentially serve the same purpose. So we thought this new video comparing the two of them was worth a look…

The video comes from Tanner March (via MacRumors) and it features a full head-to-head comparison of the fingerprint tech used in the iPhone 5s and Samsung’s upcoming S5. The 5-minute clip covers everything from setup, to usability and respective features .

March’s experience appears to line up with previous reports, which noted that the S5’s fingerprint scanner was hit-or-miss. He notes in the video that the required swiping-down action is awkward, and it’s nearly impossible to get a good reading with one hand.

As for the iPhone 5s, the reviewer found that the handset’s fingerprints sensor ‘almost always recognizes your finger,’ no matter which orientation it’s in. And he says the one-touch activation method makes using the feature in every day situations ‘extremely simple.’

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It’s worth pointing out here that the S5’s scanner can do more than Touch ID out of the box—in addition to unlocking the phone, it can also authorize PayPal payments and be accessed by 3rd party developers. Jailbreak tweaks, however, do help even the score.

On the surface, it would seem that the iPhone 5s tops the Galaxy S5 in this regard, but it’s tough to judge a device that hasn’t been released yet against one that has been out for 6 months. It’ll be interesting to see what users say when the S5 launches next week.