Like Apple Face ID, but without a notch: Polar ID is slowly becoming market-ready

Face ID, the facial recognition feature of the Apple iPhone 17 ($800 on Amazon), is still unrivaled on the smartphone market. This is because Face ID scans a face in three dimensions, making it difficult to trick the facial recognition system. As Apple uses an infrared projector, this also works without limitations in low light. Google is currently said to be working on a comparable solution for Pixel smartphones, which combines a punch-hole front camera with a series of sensors that are to be hidden invisibly under the AMOLED panel.

Metalenz Polar ID, on the other hand, will not require a punch-hole at all and can be integrated directly into a display at relatively low cost. The technology was originally announced in 2023 and was first shown in a demo video a year ago. At SID Display Week 2026, the manufacturer now wants to exhibit a functional smartphone with support for Polar ID for the first time, so the technology should slowly but surely become ready for the market.

The technology is relatively simple - Metalenz integrates photodiodes into a display, which are combined with a polarizing filter. By rotating the polarization 360 degrees, these diodes can determine the light polarization signature and segment an image. This is intended to prevent Polar ID from being deceived by a 2D image or a 3D mask. As usual, statements on security should be viewed with caution if they come from the manufacturer - only independent tests will show whether Polar ID is as secure as Face ID. According to rumors Polar ID could be destined for the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra, but Metalenz has not yet confirmed if or when Polar ID will actually go into production.