Samsung Said to Follow Apple's Lead with Fingerprint Sensor, No Iris Scanner in Galaxy S5
Previous rumors hinted that Samsung's next flagship device would leapfrog the iPhone 5s with new iris scanning technology, but that rumor may be inaccurate. A recent report from The Korea Herald claims the Korean handset maker instead is working on fingerprint sensor technology for its upcoming flagship Galaxy S5 phone.
"Among the different types of biometric sensors that Samsung is testing for its Galaxy S5, the tech giant will go for fingerprint authentication rather than unintuitive user experience of iris recognition," said an industry source who declined to be named.
"Who would want to put their handset up close to their eyes for authentication in places like movie theaters and bed, or even while they are driving?," the industry source added.
Samsung Vice President Lee Young-hee said in a recent Bloomberg interview that the company was looking into the possibility of using an iris scanner, but can't confirm that the technology would be incorporated into the Galaxy S5.
“Many people are fanatical about iris recognition technology. We are studying the possibility but can’t really say whether we will have it or not on the S5.”
The Korea Herald report cites industry sources who claim the iris scanning technology would provide an unfamiliar and uncomfortable user experience. It also is technically challenging as it would require a long-range camera, in addition to a rear camera and a front-facing camera. The inclusion of three camera modules would force Samsung to redesign both the internal layout and form factor of its Galaxy S phones.
Apple has also been rumored to be working on iris scanning functionality, but industry insiders predict it will take several years before a single camera module will be able to serve dual functions as a front-facing camera and an iris scanner. In the interim, manufacturers like Samsung are expected to adopt display-wide fingerprint scanners that would unlock a phone by allowing a user to tap on the screen. Apple has revealed its own interest in such technology, including the ability to turn display areas corresponding to app icons such as those for banking or email apps into fingerprint sensors.
Popular Stories
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect.
As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup.
If you skipped the iPhone...
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes.
The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps.
In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner.
In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
