Samsung Plans Big Launch for Galaxy Note7

Samsung’s big launch of the Galaxy Note7 is fast approaching: It’s scheduled for August 2nd, with simultaneous launch events planned for New York, London, and Rio de Janeiro.

While the device’s name is somewhat out of step—it’s actually the 6th Note device from the company—it’s otherwise very much in keeping with the previous iteration in its use of the S Pen stylus. It’s also taking the biometric capabilities of recent Samsung smartphones a step further with a rumored iris scanning functionality. While Samsung hasn’t officially confirmed this last feature, recent leaks not only offered validation, but also highlighted the technology’s limitations, suggesting that the iris scanner won’t work if you’re wearing glasses, and may even be harmful to babies.

Of course, none of this has been confirmed, and the Note7’s iris scanning could prove to be a safe and easy-to-use tool for user authentication. If it does, it will help launch Samsung to the forefront of mobile biometric technology, with only a limited number of devices currently employing this biometric modality; even Apple hasn’t made it there yet.

Samsung’s launch events will kick off in New York at 11:00 a.m. EDT next Tuesday, and the company plans to live-stream them on its website.