Samsung is working to upgrade its iris and facial recognition technology for next year’s anticipated Galaxy S9 smartphone, according to new reports.
It appears to be a response to the excitement Apple has generated over the Face ID facial recognition system of its new iPhone X. While Samsung introduced facial recognition on its Galaxy S8 earlier this year, the technology played second fiddle to the device’s iris scanning feature, which Samsung positioned as its main means of authentication. Based on two-dimensional imaging, the S8’s facial recognition was found to be susceptible to spoofing, whereas Apple’s Face ID seems much more secure thanks to its use of 3D infrared scanning.
But according to the new reports coming out of Korea, Samsung’s new efforts on its facial and iris recognition systems aren’t much of an overhaul, with the company focusing on software upgrades to make the technology operate faster and more effectively. Still, that may prove sufficient to give the device a competitive edge in some respects, with numerous South Korean banks having recently stated they would not support Apple’s Face ID for user authentication on their own apps due to concerns over the system’s susceptibility to spoofing; by virtue of being multimodal, the Galaxy S9 could be seen as more secure.
To that end, it’s also still possible that the device will feature an in-display fingerprint sensor as well. While many reviewers appreciate the full-size screen of this year’s S8, there were criticisms over the location of the rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, which some found to be too close to the camera. Since then, multiple biometrics specialists have been racing to pioneer in-display fingerprint sensor technology, and if it’s available within the time-frame of Samsung’s production schedule for the S9, the company is likely to want to incorporate it. And that could give it another edge as it seeks to beat the iPhone X, which goes on sale in South Korea later this week.
Sources: Android Authority, Android Headlines, The Korea Herald, International Business Times
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