Since the release of the Galaxy Note 7 in 2016, Samsung has included iris scanning as a key feature on all high-end Galaxy phones. However, a new report suggests that the technology might not be included on the Galaxy S10, as the South Korean company continues aiming for a nearly all-screen setup in front.
According to SamMobile , Samsung will “presumably” be removing the iris scanner when it announces the Galaxy S10 early next year, possibly in an effort to “stretch the display even further” and allow for a greater screen-to-body ratio. The publication cited reports from South Korean outlet ETNews , which suggests that Samsung will be sticking with the oft-rumored in-display fingerprint reader as the only form of biometric authentication on its upcoming flagship phone and that none of the three Galaxy S10 variants will come with iris scanning.
Specifically, it was noted that the two higher-end Galaxy S10 models are expected to come with an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader from Qualcomm, while the budget variant might come with an optical in-display or side-mounted sensor. This marks a departure from Samsung’s focus on iris scanning as a selling point of its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note handsets from the fall of 2016 onward.
“It’s possible that Samsung feels [that] display fingerprint sensor technology has evolved enough to eliminate the need for a second biometric solution,” SamMobile wrote.
The Galaxy S10 might drop iris scanning and go all-in with a new type of in-display fingerprint sensor ? https://t.co/Dt5wgFyFpP
— Android Central (@androidcentral) November 2, 2018
There might be other reasons why Samsung is reportedly putting an end to iris scanning after three model years, SamMobile continued. As earlier reports and leaks had suggested, the Galaxy S10 will continue to eschew the notch popularized by Apple when it released the iPhone X in 2017, SamMobile speculated that removing the iris scanner could be Samsung’s way of ensuring that it won’t need to include a notch on the 10th-anniversary flagship.
Prior to the new rumors that Samsung might be eliminating iris scanning on the Galaxy S10, Bloomberg reported that the company is considering doing away with another, more basic feature – the device’s headphone jack. While Samsung only has a prototype version of the Galaxy S10 sans headphone jack at the moment, Bloomberg stressed that this is another sign that the company is following Apple’s lead by making its devices fully wireless and softening its stance on a feature that it consistently included on its devices despite the changing trends.
Samsung has yet to confirm or even tease the Galaxy S10’s launch date, but the device is widely expected to arrive at the 2019 Mobile World Congress between February 25 and 28, per TechRadar .