Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy S5 could
feature eye scanning technology, according to reports, in a move that would
help the South Korean smartphone maker trump the Apple iPhone 5s' fingerprint
sensor.
Speaking to Bloomberg at the
International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Lee Young Hee, executive
vice president of Samsung's mobile business, said that 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,” he said.
However, he did confirm that the
Galaxy S5 will be paired with a successor to the Galaxy Gear smartwatch,
featuring more advanced functions and a sleeker design.
With the launch of the iPhone 5s in
September 2013, Apple introduced Touch ID, which allows users to unlock their
iPhone by simply touching their finger to the home button.
Analysts predicted that the
fingerprint sensor would build legitimacy for the technology in mainstream
consumer electronics, but warned that privacy concerns were bound to arise.
Security issues also emerged just
days after the launch, when a group of German hackers found a way to bypass
Apple's TouchID, demonstrating that biometrics are not necessarily the most
secure method of access control.
Samsung accounts for around a third
of the global smartphone market. However, the company's operating profits fell
by 18 per cent to 8.3 trillion won (£4.8bn) between October and December 2013,
and the company is bracing itself for its weakest smartphone profit growth
since 2007.
Its mobile devices business will come
under increased pressure when Apple makes its phones available from January 17
via China Mobile, the world's largest mobile phone operator, through which
Samsung has been selling smartphones for around seven years.
Reports at the end of last year
suggested that Samsung could bring forward the launch of its Galaxy S5 in an
attempt to boost sales figures. The release is currently timed for after
February’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, according to Bloomberg.
It is thought that the device could
come in two versions – one metal and one plastic. The display size is expected
to be around 5 inches, using Super AMOLED technology and with a pixel density
of around 560ppi. Other rumoured specs include a 16-Megapixel camera, 3GB of
RAM and a 4,000MaH battery.
“The release of the S5 will be very
important to Samsung,” Lee Seung Woo, an analyst at IBK Securities, told
Bloomberg. “Competition is going to intensify, and it’s not going to be an easy
year for the company.”
source: TheGuardian
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