One of the features of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S series is a front-mounted fingerprint scanner. However, that won’t be the case for this year’s Galaxy Tab S4.

Renders had already shown that the Galaxy Tab S4 was missing a front-mounted fingerprint scanner and didn’t have one on the back, though the latter wouldn’t have made any sense for a device with a 10-inch screen.

New reports have now confirmed that the Galaxy Tab S4 will not come with a fingerprint scanner. Instead, it will come with a combination of an iris scanner and face unlock which Samsung has termed “Intelligent Scan”. The confirmation comes from an instructional video from the official Galaxy Tab S4 firmware.

The Galaxy Tab S4 will be the first tablet to come with an iris scanner. With “Intelligent Scan”, users will be able to unlock their device with either the iris scanner or face unlock depending on the environment. For example, when outdoors and under bright sunlight, the iris scanner is known to fail, so in that situation, the device switches to face unlock. And when in poorly lit areas where Face Unlock doesn’t work, the device switches to iris scanning. You can watch the video in the source link below.

READ MORE: Samsung could merge the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note smartphone lineup

The Galaxy Tab S4 is expected to launch in August. It will come with a redesigned S Pen, thinner bezels, and DeX support. It will also come with a Snapdragon 835 processor and have a 10.5-inch display.

(Source)

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3D facial recognition can be defined as the safest and most innovative authentication method on mobile devices, but Samsung is yet to adopt this tech in its flagships. Instead, the company has stuck to iris scanners for the Galaxy Note 8 and Galaxy S9 line-ups, which allows unlocking phones by recognizing the user’s eyes. However, none of these two authentication methods is usable in every scenario and none of them can provide the maximum level of security. For example, the iris scanner does not work well with certain kind of glasses, while Face ID does not work while the user is lying on a bed.

Now, Samsung has filed a new patent at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) which highlights a very innovative biometric camera. It is a combo sensor which combines the iris scanner and facial recognition, so it can do both the things. It is able to emit near-infrared light to the user and it contains an extended depth of field (EDOF) lens which can shoot photos at a very close distance to the subject while keeping it sharp. The sensor will be able to filter out ambient light and it is also expected to be able to convert optical images to electronic signals in order to process every image in the best way.

The sensor will also rely on a wide database of recognized iris data in order to perform the authentication. Unfortunately, this is only a patent and it does not give any info about the first device which will feature this new technology. According to speculations, it is impossible that we will see it on the Galaxy Note 9 and it is unlikely that it will come on the Galaxy S10 line-up. Still, iris scanner remains a very safe and reliable method of authentication after all.

(via)

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Samsung’s recent Galaxy S flagship phones have gained huge popularity in the recent years. The company is now working on the launch of Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Fresh information coming from a South Korean publication has revealed that the firm is working on improving the performance of iris scanner on Galaxy S9 duo.

Iris scanner can identify the user by detecting the complex patterns of each iris. The Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+ and Galaxy Note 8 smartphones are equipped with a dedicated 2-megapixel lens for iris scanning. After the launch of Galaxy S8 duo, hackers from Germany had revealed that the iris scanner available on both phones could be easily spoofed by using a photograph of the eyes or contact lens of the user. At that time, Samsung had retorted by saying that the hack is unrealistic as it requires hackers to steal the smartphone and snap a photo of the owner’s iris.

According to The Korea Herald, Samsung will be adding 3-megapixel iris scanning lens on Galaxy S9 and S9+ that will be able to identify users instantly even if they are wearing glasses or when they are in very bright or dim light conditions. A spokesperson from Samsung has said that compared to other biometric recognition feature such as fingerprint and facial authentication, iris scanning is the safest one when it comes to carrying out banking transactions on smartphone.

Read More: Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+ May Get Unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2018

As of this writing, fingerprint and iris scanning are the only biometric recognition technologies that are available on Samsung Pay for authenticating payments. The South Korean company is reportedly working to bring more mobile banking apps to support the iris scanner feature. The company is also aiming to bring iris recognition feature on budget phones by late 2018 or early 2019.

In related news, Synaptics has recently announced the world’s first in-display fingerprint scanner called Clear ID. It is speculated that the company is mass producing Clear ID in collaboration with Samsung. Since then the rumor mill has been claiming that the new fingerprint scanning technology may be made available on the Galaxy Note 9 that is rumored to debut in the latter half of 2018. There is no confirmation on whether the in-display fingerprint scanner would be arriving on Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+.

(source)

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The year is almost running out and next year’s models are now dominating discussions. One of such top-fliers is the LG G7 which is expected to be one of the early debutants next year. One of the new features the LG G7 is expected to come with is an iris scanner. 

Unlike rival Samsung, LG doesn’t have any smartphone presently having an iris scanner. Until the present crop of LG flagships, the company has only utilized the most basic form of facial unlock which is using the front “selfie” camera. This is the same technology included on the latest LG V30. However, there are indications that the G7 which would be launched next year will herald a change to a new innovation. According to reports, LG filed a patent which points at the possibility that the G7 and other LG phones in 2018, could utilize an iris scanning technology, similar to the one found in the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, as well as on the Galaxy Note 8. Iris scanners function by illuminating the user’s eye with near-infrared light and this enables the scanner to get finely detailed photographs of their iris which cannot be seen under regular light. This is particularly helpful when identifying dark-coloured eyes.

Read Also: LG G7 Concept Design Reveals What to Expect From it

The iris scanner would ensure that the facial unlock would be more effective and can function under any lighting conditions. The Korea tech company had showcased a prototype of its new all-in-one module at the Korea Electronics Show (KES) last year. The new module can serve as both a front-facing camera and an iris scanner by packing some sort of filter-changing mechanism that could allow a regular camera to see an infrared light when needed. This technology could find its way first into the G7.

(source)

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Are you a lover of flip-phones? Then rejoice as the Samsung W2018 has gotten a launch date. The date was revealed on Twitter by a user named @MMDJ_ known for his Samsung related tweets.

According to his post, the Samsung W2018 will be launched in Xiamen, China on December 1. Accompanying the tweet is an official poster that includes the W-series for the past 10 years and celebrity guests invited to the launch which also doubles as a charity event.

For the past 10 years, Samsung has always used the launch of its W-series phone as a platform to raise funds for charity. A follow up post by @MMDDJ_  includes a mash up photo that shows various charity acts and photos from previous years.

The Samsung W2018 will be its most powerful flip phone ever made. Aside its dual 4.2” FHD displays, the phone will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 mobile platform. It will also have 6GB of RAM and 128GB of built-in storage.

Although the Samsung W2018 won’t sport dual rear cameras, rumor has it that it will be the first smartphone to have a camera with a F/1.5 aperture. The rear camera is said to be a 12MP sensor and a 5MP front-facing camera is available for selfies.

From the leaked images provided last week, the phone is shown to have its fingerprint scanner on the back just like the other Samsung flagships released this year. However, @MMDDJ_ says it will also have an iris scanner.

The Samsung W2018 will also come with Bixby and have a dedicated button for it. Samsung is expected to launch the Chinese variant of its AI assistant this month ahead of the W2018’s release.

READ MORE: Samsung SM-G9298 Flip Phone Officially Launched with Snapdragon 820, 4 GB RAM

Battery capacity for the phone is 2300mAh and it should come with Android Nougat out of the box. There is no info on the price but there is a high chance it will be pretty expensive. It will also be limited to China as the W-series is a a collaboration between Samsung and China’s top network operators.

(Source)

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Just like 18:9 displays, facial recognition is one of the features manufacturers are adding to phones this year. While the tech has gained popularity in the past few months, it’s worth mentioning that facial recognition has been found on smartphones for years.

The iPhone X may have made it popular but it has been available on Android debuting with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, though not as advanced and secure as that of the iPhone X.

Facial Recognition on Android

Setting up face unlock on Android back then was fairly simple. After accessing the menu under settings, you will be required to set up your face by positioning it within a dotted circle and the front facing camera would capture your facial details. To increase accuracy, you will be required to try it under different lighting conditions and under different conditions (glasses on/off, hat on etc).

There was a caveat though, Google knew it wasn’t secure enough, so you were asked to set up an alternative security lock. And now, most manufacturers don’t even bother to include the feature anymore, ever since fingerprint scanners have become mainstream.

On my OnePlus 3T, all you have is swipe, pattern, PIN, and password, in addition to fingerprint recognition. The Zoji Z6, which acts as my secondary phone, adds voice unlock along with the above mentioned security features.

Iris Recognition

But that wasn’t the end of face unlock. While it took a break, manufacturers branched into something else – Iris Recognition.
The first phone to come with an iris scanner was the Fujitsu ARROWS NX-F04G. It was released in 2015 and made use of an IR LED for illuminating the pattern of the iris, which according to research doesn’t change after the age of two years; and an IR camera for  capturing the pattern.

The image is then stored in the database and used to compare against that of the person who wants to unlock the phone. At the end of 2015, Microsoft released the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, joining Fujitsu, as smartphones with Iris scanners.

Nearly a year later, Samsung joined the short list with the ill-fated Galaxy Note7. This year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 and S8+ and both of them have iris scanners. Samsung touted them as being airtight and you could even use it for payment, just the way you used the fingerprint scanner.

However, the guys at Chaos Computer Club (CCC), a European hacker association didn’t like the way Samsung bragged about its security and decided to disprove their claim. They were able to fool the scanner.

How they did it was actually pretty simple.

All they had to do was take a picture of the owner’s eye using a 200mm lens from 15 feet away. Then they had it printed out on paper and covered it with wet contact lens to imitate the curvature of real eyes. After pointing the phone towards it, it unlocked the device.

CCC in its official article says it will be even easier to unlock with the tons of high resolution selfies on the internet, so you might not need to even take a picture of the owner of the phone. Their suggestion is to use a PIN as it is more secure than biometric scanners.

Windows Hello Facial Recognition

Back to Facial Recognition. Microsoft announced Windows Hello the same year as the company announced the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, which is a windows 10 biometric technology system that includes the iris scanner on the Lumia 950 and 950 XL, the fingerprint reader on windows 10 laptops, and facial recognition on the Surface Book laptop and the Surface Pro 4.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ3W2YABZzo

Both the surface book and laptop feature a near IR sensor that does the capturing and is more effective under varying light conditions.

So how does Windows Hello face recognition work?

Using an algorithm, the face is detected in the camera stream. Facial landmark points such as the nose, eyes, and mouth are located. The algorithm also ensures that the user is facing the device at an angle of ±15 degrees.

The algorithm then uses the landmarks as anchor points and takes several samples of the face to build a representation. The result is a histogram representing the light and dark differences around specific areas. So, the image of the user is actually never stored.

Microsoft says the representation of the user in front of the PC is then compared to the one enrolled. And before it accepts it as a match, it has to cross a certain machine-learned threshold. This threshold increases if there are multiple users enrolled on the device.

Microsoft measures the accuracy of its facial recognition in three ways:
1. False positive – also called false acception rate (FAR), this is the likelihood of a random person who gains physical access to your PC being recognized as you. This number should be as low as possible and for Windows Hello, it is less than 0.001 or 1/100,000 FAR.

2. True positive – this is the likelihood of you being correctly matched to your enrolled profile. This number should be high and Windows Hello scores 95% for a single enrolled user.

3. False negative – is the likelihood of you being denied access even though your profile is enrolled and Microsoft says it is 5% for a single enrolled user.

Windows Hello works pretty well judging from the tons of videos on the internet. It cant be fooled by a photograph, it won’t unlock if your face is partially covered and it unlocks fast in the dark thanks to the near IR sensor.

Apple Face ID

Apple joined the facial recognition train this year with its iPhone X. The iPhone X doesn’t have Touch ID due to its bezel-less design and Apple didn’t want to put it on the back of the phone like a number of Android manufacturers do. Instead, it came up with Face ID, a facial recognition system it claims is more secure than TouchID.

Face ID captures your face with the aid of light projector and a bunch of sensors — Apple collectively refers to it as the TrueDepth Camera System.

The process the TrueDepth system uses to capture a 3D map of your face is explained below:

1.The proximity sensor and ambient light sensor help to determine the amount of illumination needed for face recognition.
2.The flood illuminator produces IR light to illuminate your face. The IR light is not visible to the human eye and and works effectively in poorly illuminated or even bright areas (outdoors).
3. The dot projector produces tens of thousands dots of IR light to create a 3D map of your face.
4. The infrared camera captures images of the dot pattern and the IR light reflected back by your face.

The recognition process is similar to that of other biometric ones – compare the stored template against the presented pattern (verification image) and see if it is a match. The stored template and verification image won’t be the same since the capture conditions will always be different, so it uses a threshold to grant access.

The threshold score is said to be between 0 and 1. If the score is closer to 1 then it is the same face (or biometric) and if it is closer to 0, then it is not the same person.

Apple explains the step for verification:
1. IR images are sent from the camera to the phone’s neural engine to build a 3D map of the face.
2. The map is compared against the stored template.
3. The processor calculates if the verification and stored templates match based on a comparison score of the similarity between your images.
4. Phone unlocks if the comparison score is higher than a certain threshold value.

So what happens if your facial appearance changes, say you grow a beard, shave your moustache, or apply makeup?
Apple says that FaceID continually updates the stored model by occasionally saving images from successful login maps. So it kind of a continuous enrollment.

READ MORE: GizmoChina Explains: How Does An eSIM Work?

How secure is Face ID?

According to Apple, the probability of a random person unlocking your iPhone X is 1 in 1,000,000 which is way higher than Touch ID’s 1 in 50,000. It however differs for twins and siblings that share the same physical features or even siblings under 13 whose distinct features are not fully developed. Apple suggests using a pass-code for authentication in this case.

Bottom line is that Face ID or any form of facial recognition isn’t foolproof, but unlike the basic model of facial recognition, Windows Hello and Face ID provide a much more secure way of keeping your device protected.

As the technology develops, facial recognition could potentially be our biometric verification standard on smartphones and other gadgets. Apple took the leap skipping TouchID in favour of Face ID, and other manufacturers could follow suit.

The post GizmoChina Explains: How Does Facial Recognition Work? appeared first on Gizmochina.

As the Xiaomi Mi 6 launch draws closer, the leaks continue to increase. Not too log after we spotted the front panel of the Mi 6 in several leaks, more images of the Xiaomi Mi 6 front panel have appeared online. The latest leaked images are  perfectly similar to the previous ones we have seen and they look very real.

The Xiaomi Mi 6 is not only expected to pack a Snapdragon 835 chipset, it is also said to come without the 3.5mm audio jack and with a waterproof body. The Mi 6 is also said to feature an iris recognition and an opening for that is present in this recent leak. Another feature to note on the front panel is that the Mi 6 would have a display covering the entire screen and there is an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor which is on the oval-shaped home button. The leaked front panel images again show that the Mi 6 front display will have black and white bezels around the display, obviously on different versions but the bezels are ultra-thin.

Read Also: First Xiaomi Mi 6 Camera Sample Spotted

Perhaps, the GFXBench listing for Xaiomi Sagit suspected to be the Mi 6 is the source for a more authentic specs sheet for the Mi 6. The Mi 6 is listed with a 5.15-inch display with a Full HD resolution. There are likely two CPU variants, both octa-core chips clocked at 2.2GHz and 2.4GHz respectively. There is no doubt this is the flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 since the device is listed with an Adreno 540 GPU. The memory variants are likely a 4GB + 64GB combo as well as a 6GB + 128GB version.

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A new image of Xiaomi’s upcoming flagship, the Mi 6 has surfaced online. The image shows just the front of the phone but gives us a good look at the iris scanner and fingerprint sensor.

The iris scanner can be seen sitting in-between the front facing camera and the earpiece. It will serve as an additional way for users to unlock their phone. Design wise, Xiaomi doesn’t seem to be joining the bezel-less display train like other manufacturers with the Mi 6, the Mi MIX is its contender for that category. So its not surprising to see that there are still bezels visible on all sides of the Mi 6.

Sitting at the bottom is a fingerprint scanner flanked on both sides by capacitive and definitely backlit buttons. The scanner is said to not push down like a physical button but will work like a capacitive one. So this is probably an ultrasonic sensor.

READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi MIX and Other Devices Heading to South Korea

The Snapdragon 835 powered flagship is expected to be launched during the week. Endless leaks and rumors say the Xiaomi Mi 6 will have a larger screen variant with the Plus moniker. The larger variant will also feature dual rear cameras. We  are not sure if this is the Mi 6 Plus but it looks bigger than a 5.15-inch phone.

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As the launch date for the Xiaomi Mi 6 draws nearer, we continue to get overwhelmed with new leaks by the day. CEO Lei Jun’s words are the only confirmation that we have so far gotten about an April launch but that would be just enough to keep us in high spirit. The rate at which the leaks come out is another reason to believe a launch is nearby and now, there is yet another leak.

The Xiaomi Mi 6 front glass panel is the latest to leak and it comes in both white and black colours. The front panel reveals a number of details about the display size and possible type. From the images, we can gather that we won’t be seeing a Mi Mix-looking display panel on the Mi 6. The screen-to-body ratio isn’t looking very high but the display will likely have ultra-narrow bezels at the sides.

In addition, the opening at the top bezel area seems to confirm the likelihood of an iris recognition technology similar to the one Samsung featured on the Galaxy S8 and earlier models. There is the usual front camera opening and that of the OIS and then, a third opening that is likely the iris scanner.

Also of interest is the opening for the front home button which has an oval shape and looks unusually large. The Mi 6 is said to feature the underglass ultrasonic fingerprint scanner used on the Mi 5S but with a fast sensor and better user experience. The size of the fingerprint scanner is also bigger than that of the Mi 5S.

Related: New Xiaomi Mi 6 Images Crop Up With A Beautiful Front, Vertical Dual Camera Setup

The Mi 6 doesn’t disappoint at the rear either, as it packs a dual camera setup and a curved design. Don’t also forget that the Mi 6 is rumoured to come with a waterproof built and won’t feature the 3.5mm audio jack. It is almost certain that the device will come in black and white colours as we had first seen a leak of the box casing for the device which is presented in black and white, and now the front panels. We also expect other cool colours on the final product when launched.

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Just a while ago, we got what is likely the first real press render of the Samsung Galaxy S8. We have seen leaked casings, concept images, and so on of the Galaxy S8 but none quite looks as real as this one leaked by popular tipster Evan Bass. For one, Evan Bass, who tweets from the handle @evleaks, has got a high level of credibility in leaks such as these. The leaked images of the LG G6 and several others from his end in the past were accurate.

We’ll do a brief analysis of the Galaxy S8 render in other to verify some of the features the device packs. You might have taken note of the numerous apertures, on-screen features and buttons revealed on the leaked press render without knowing what they really are.

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The iPhone 8 is the name given to the special edition iPhone we are getting this year to mark the 10 year anniversary of the phone. There have been rumors going round that the phone will be the first to sport an OLED display. However, things just got more exciting bout the display.

According to KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 8’s 5.8-inch display which is said to take up most of the front of the device will have the lower part reserved for a “function area”. This function area is presumed to house unknown virtual keys.

Android devices usually have on-screen navigation buttons or capacitive keys. Some even have both and might even have a physical home button too. Apple is said to be ditching the home button this year which also doubles as the Touch ID scanner.

The rumor is that the function area will be similar to the touch bar in the new MacBook Pro with one of the virtual buttons serving as a home button and the others possibly changing according to the app in use or being preset by the user.

So what happens to Touch ID? Previous leaks had said Apple will use an under-glass fingerprint scanner but Kuo believes that it will be replaced by another form of biometric security system such as an iris scanner.

READ MORE: Apple Tries Again to Sell Used iPhones in India 

Adding this new detail of the iPhone 8 having a function area similar to the touch bar; an iris scanner, wireless charging, and an OLED display and you should have a rough estimate of the price. According to Mr. Kuo, the iPhone 8 will start at $1000 (¥6859). Expensive right? Yes, typical Apple. But even with the high price, he believes that 60% of Apple’s 100 million iPhone units target set by apple will be made up of the iPhone 8.

(Source, via)

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Samsung Mobile Korea has released the first Galaxy Note 7 TV ad. The advert which is just 30 seconds long confirms a couple of features like multiple phone lock options such as fingerprint and the regular pattern lock. The advert teases other features such as multiple old rotary dial telephones submerged in water which indicates the Note 7 will be waterproof (a first for the Note series), allowing the phone to be immersed in up to 5-feet of water for a duration of 30 minutes.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTWyapuLNdI[/embedyt]

There is also a lady holding a blurred out phone in one hand (which is probably the Note 7) trying to take a selfie while holding a light bulb to her face with the other hand. This translates into the Note 7 featuring a LED flash in front.

Another teaser is the presence of multiple highlighter pens used on different texts. We interpret this to mean that you will be able to copy multiple texts with the Note’s S-pen and choose which you want to paste when you want. So that eliminates the issue of a new copied text overwriting the previous one.

READ MORE: Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Wallpapers Leaked

We also see a bunch of neon numerical lights from 0 to 5 and a question mark, with a text above it that translates to ”5, then 6?”.

This isn’t difficult to decipher. It’s no news that Samsung is skipping the 6 and moving on to 7 in the naming. The reasons for this is to have a uniform name with the S-Line of the same year (S7 and S7 Edge) and stop the assumption that the Note series offers older technology because it has a lower number. (The latter reason is weird though).

Samsung ends the Note 7 TV ad by confirming the release date is in August. Next Tuesday to be precise.

The note series has been very successful since the first generation and every version is always keenly looked forward to. The Note 7 is going to be better by featuring the new Snapdragon 821 SoC, a bigger battery, an iris scanner, and a dual-edge curved display.

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A lot has already been shared online about the Galaxy Note 7, right from the processor, memory, display and the fact that the Note 7 will feature an Iris scanner. However, we were really unaware about how will this new Iris scanner technology work? Thanks to the latest leaks, we know how exactly it will unlock the device.

The leaked images of a working prototype show that the Galaxy Note 7 will use infra-red scanning method for the iris scanner to unlock the device. The biggest advantage of this technology is that it can unlock the device even at night or other extremely low light situations. Leaks also suggested that Samsung’s iris recognition technology can emulate the conventional fingerprint unlock in terms of speed.

What we already know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 which is launching on August 2nd is that it will feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor,  5.7 inches/ 6-inch 2K super AMOLED double curved screen and  6GB  RAM with 64 GB internal storage.

RELATED: A bunch of working Galaxy Note 7 pictures leaked online

On the imaging front, the Galaxy Note 7 is expected to feature a 5MP front camera, and a 12MP rear camera. It should be dustproof and waterproof with IP68 level certification as well.

A big question is that, would you buy such a powerful device if it will be priced around (rumored) CNY 6300/USD 950 ? To be honest, a lot of Samsung fans will surely do.

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