Same thing happened to me in about 2008, IIRC, with the Authentec fingerprint sensor. We were working with Authentec's 72dpi parts and complaining that the res

Same thing happened to me in about 2008, IIRC, with the Authentec fingerprint sensor. We were working with Authentec's 72dpi parts and complaining that the resolution was poor. In an engineering meeting, they told us that they had a high-res large-format part entering production. ("Large format" meaning "as big as your fingertip"; the existing high-res parts were maybe 5x5mm.) Amazing! we said. They agreed to send us some documentation and samples. A month later we had no samples. They denied ever telling us about such a part. A year or so later they were acquired by Apple and Touch ID was the result.