Samsung might not be cramming its new Galaxy S8 handset with powerful iris scanning tech, but its face recognition capabilities could be off the hook.
South Korean outlet The Investor reports that – in addition to the previously rumored iris scanner and fingerprint reader – Samsung’s upcoming flagship device will also feature boosted face recognition, adding yet another layer of biometric security.
Citing fellow local media Korea Economic Daily, the publication suggests the phone-maker is already testing prototypes.
“Due to some limits of iris scanning such as speed and accuracy, we have decided to add facial recognition to the Galaxy S8,” a Samsung official told the Korea Economic Daily. “With a face scanner, it will take less than 0.01 seconds to unlock the phone.”
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
The news comes only days after recently granted Apple patents hinted the Cupertino behemoth could be working on face recognition for the next-generation iPhone.
Following a never-ending stream of leaks, the S8 is pretty much an open book by now. The device will come with ultra-thin bezels, a crispy Super AMOLED screen as well as the revamped Snapdragon 835. It will also support wireless charging.
The new and improved Galaxy S8 is slated to drop later this month on March 29, with shipping scheduled for later in April. So we’ll have to wait a little longer until we can put Samsung’s face recognition chops to the test.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.