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Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra will get Apple's FaceID tech without requiring additional sensors, claims tipster

Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature facial recognition abilities akin to Apple's FaceID, claims leaker. (Source: Notebookcheck)
Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra will feature facial recognition abilities akin to Apple's FaceID, claims leaker. (Source: Notebookcheck)
It was recently rumored that the upcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra will feature a biometric authentication system similar to Apple's FaceID. However, a more recent leak as refuted the former, claiming that this feature, dubbed PolarID, will arrive with the Galaxy S26 Ultra and will reportedly function without requiring any extra sensors apart from the front-facing camera.

In a recent post by tipster Sawyer Galox on Twitter, he rebutted a recent claim that the upcoming S25 Ultra will feature facial recognition equivalent to Apple's FaceID, but without requiring all the additional sensors, thereby allowing for the typical hole-punch front camera layout. Instead, Sawyer Galox claimed that the feature will debut with the S26 Ultra.

Apple's FaceID biometric authentication system debuted with the iPhone X in 2017 replacing TouchID, and was well received by reviewers for its security and ease of use. Samsung's flagship devices do not have a similarly secure facial recognition system, with the closest being the iris scanner that was introduced with the Galaxy S9 in 2018, which was fast but not as secure as FaceID.

Apple's FaceID works by utilising a dot projector, a flood illuminator, and a an IR sensor. (Source: Tech Insider on YouTube)
Apple's FaceID works by utilising a dot projector, a flood illuminator, and a an IR sensor. (Source: Tech Insider on YouTube)

Apple's FaceID system works with the aid of a complex array of sensors, including a dot projector, an infrared camera, and a flood illuminator. To be precise, the dot projector emits thousands of IR dots onto the user's face, the IR camera then captures this facial map, and the flood illuminator improves accuracy in less-than-ideal lighting conditions by feeding additional IR light. This data is then processed by the neural engine, which checks for a match and authenticates user access.

According to the previous rumor, Samsung's iteration of FaceID will be dubbed PolarID, and will reportedly be even more secure than FaceID without requiring any auxiliary sensors apart from the front camera. As Galox stated, this feature will not arrive with next year's Galaxy S25 Ultra, presumably due to cost concerns, and will instead arrive with the S26 Ultra, most likely scheduled for 2027.

Source(s)

Sawyer Galox on Twitter, spotted by Wccftech

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 06 > Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra will get Apple's FaceID tech without requiring additional sensors, claims tipster
Sambit Saha, 2024-06-10 (Update: 2024-06-10)