Samsung Galaxy Note 7 may include an iris scanner
Already built into the Galaxy Tab Iris tablet, iris recognition could wend its way into the next Galaxy Note phablet.
Samsung may top the Galaxy Note 5 by including an iris scanner in the next Note.
Samsung may be eyeing an iris scanner for its Galaxy Note 7.
A screenshot from software for Samsung's newly launched Galaxy Beta program shows an option in the settings screen that, when translated into English, says "Use iris," as shown by Indian comparison shopping site PriceRaja.com. Further, a report displaying import and export data indicates 200 iris scanners being imported into India, which could be destined for the next Galaxy Note, according to blog site GSMArena.
Passwords are a poor means of authentication because they're difficult to remember and less than secure. Biometric technology, which scans your fingerprints, eyes and faces, is considered a more foolproof method of confirming your identity. Many PC, tablet and smartphone makers already incorporate fingerprint scanners. But biometric technology is still in its early days and will take awhile to become more pervasive.
Rumors that Samsung would outfit its Galaxy Note with an iris scanner have abounded for a couple of years. Some reports claimed the Galaxy S7 would come with a retina scanner, which didn't happen. However, Samsung did outfit its Galaxy Tab Iris tablet with iris recognition, so it's not hard to imagine the technology expanding to other Galaxy class devices.
Iris recognition is considered 1,000 times more accurate than fingerprint recognition, research center SRI International said last year. Available in India, Samsung's Galaxy Tab Iris tablet uses a dual-eye scanner to authenticate people and is aimed at financial institutions and other businesses looking for a better way to confirm the identity of their users.
The Galaxy Note 5 is Samsung's current Note model. But reports have suggested the company may bypass the name Note 6 in order to bring the Note numbering convention in line with its flagship Galaxy lineup, which currently stands at S7.
Rumors say the Note 7 will offer a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display, up to 128 gigabytes of online storage, 6GB of memory and a 12-megapixel rear camera, GSMArena said. A memory card slot will be included for further expansion. The device will also be certified for protection against water and dust.
Samsung did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment.