Samsung Adding Iris Scanners to Future Phones

With smartphone manufacturers racing to become the first to introduce biometric security to their devices, Samsung recently tipped its hand by revealing that the company is actively researching iris-scanning technologies. Implemented in a smartphone, iris scanners would ensure that nobody but the registered user would be able to access the phone’s contents. With users becoming increasingly concerned about privacy, such a development would likely fare well with consumers.

At a recent conference, Samsung’s vice-president Rhee In-Jong said that Samsung is developing iris-scanning smartphone technology, and that it would likely debut in an upcoming line of premium smartphones. From there, he said, iris scanners would appear in the company’s mid- and entry-level mobile devices.

The basics of iris-scanning technology are pretty straightforward. Users would position the smartphone’s front-facing camera near their eye and snap a photo, which would then be saved to the device’s memory. Then, when the user wants to access the phone, they would simply scan their iris and the smartphone would attempt to match it with the saved image. In the event of a match, the phone would unlock; if no match can be made, the phone would remain inaccessible.

Further developments could be in the works at Samsung. The company is also reportedly conducting experiments in both head and eye movement, which would enable users to direct cursors and other input mechanisms with simple kinetics. Such developments would be of particular interest to mobile and mobile application developers, who could benefit greatly from enhanced technological and smartphone security capabilities.

App developers in New York and around the country can take note of a prevailing trend in the tech industry — the consumer-end desire for enhanced security and privacy. In an age marked by data mining and identity theft, what more can be done right now to protect users from cybercriminals and invasive spying practices?