Samsung has officially unveiled its newest Note smartphone, and it once again features sophisticated biometric security provided by Princeton Identity technology.
That means the Galaxy Note9 maintains Samsung’s flagship authentication mechanism, iris recognition. Operating in tandem with facial recognition, the system allows for contactless authentication – as with Apple’s iPhone X, a user can unlock their device just by looking at it. The authentication system also enables other actions such as confirming payments on Samsung Pay, again enhancing the ease of use.
As with previous Samsung devices, including the recently launched Tab S4 tablet, the Note9’s iris scanning technology comes by way of Princeton Identity, a firm that launched in 2016 with capital backing from Samsung Ventures. Speaking to Mobile ID World, Princeton Identity CEO laughed off rumors that Samsung was moving away from iris authentication (“That’s counter to what their actions are,” he noted), and emphasized the technology’s security and convenience. “As people start to use their phones for more secure applications, transactions, things of that nature, you will see a lot more emphasis on contactless and ease of use,” he said.
Clifton also pointed out that Samsung’s continued use of iris recognition will help to promote the technology more broadly. “It basically means more adoption, which is what we’re excited about because more adoption means more acceptance and, obviously, the public using more biometrics for authentication and identification,” he said. “It’s all positive.”
Meanwhile, the Note9 also features a fingerprint sensor for a bit of added biometric security. Fingerprint sensors are now a standard feature of premium smartphones, but Samsung’s evident lack of interest in opting for more expensive in-display fingerprint sensor technology in its latest flagship devices underscores the company’s focus on contactless authentication via iris and facial recognition.
Other flagship features of the Galaxy Note9 revolve around three pillars hinted at in teaser ads for the device: Battery life, storage, and speed. The Note9 features a 4,000mAh battery that Samsung says can keep the phone active all day; and it comes with two internal storage options – 128GB or 512GB – with microSD support. It also supports network speeds of up to 1.2GB per second and a ‘Water Carbon Cooling’ system designed to keep the processor running fast and smoothly.
True to the Note line, the new device also comes with an S Pen stylus, which has now been revamped with Bluetooth Low-Energy support allowing the peripheral to be used for things like taking pictures and changing slides during presentations.
Additional features of the Galaxy Note9 include AI-powered photography, a 6.4″ Super AMOLED Infinity Display, Dolby Atmos audio, and IP68 water and dust resistance, among others. Samsung says the device will launch in select markets starting August 24th.
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