Galaxy S27 Ultra tipped to get a major facial recognition upgrade better than Face ID

With the Galaxy S26 series still in development, leaks and rumors about the Galaxy S27 series have stated surfacing already. Since June, there have been reports about the Galaxy S27 Ultra’s cameras and S-Pen support, but the latest is that the phone will get a major upgrade towards face recognition in the form of a 3D scan of the face for supposed improved security.

The information comes from not the most reliable leaker, ‘@SPYGO19726 ‘, since they recently shared a Geekbench listing for the Exynos 2600 showing unrealistic single core scores. Said listing isn’t available on the Geekbench website. That being said, the latest X post states they have spotted mention of “Polar ID v1.0” in the early test firmware for the Galaxy S27 Ultra. This is said to be an upgraded form of facial recognition based on a “polarized-light authentication system.”

Till now, most Android phones, including the Galaxy S25 series, uses IR sensors to capture reflections from the face for biometrics. The new tech will use a high-resolution polarization signature of your skin using near-infrared light. This will theoretically allow face unlock to work in any lighting condition or even when wearing masks or sunglasses, and it cannot be fooled by a picture or a 3D mask of your face.

Furthermore, the leaker mentions that this tech will be made possible thanks to the ISOCELL Vizion sensor and “BIO-Fusion Core,” which is supposedly a secure enclave routine. The unlock latency is said to be around 180 ms.

This isn’t the first time a facial recognition upgrade has been pitched for Samsung phones or Android phones in general. It was expected to make an appearance with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which it did not, and then the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra. Whether it will finally show up in the 2027 slated Galaxy S27 Ultra, only time will tell. Once again, do take this information with a pinch of salt.