Galaxy S8 Will Let You Pay with Your Face (Report)
By Philip Michaels 2017-03-16T18:38:01Z
A report says that the upcoming Galaxy S8 will use facial recognition along with iris and fingerprint scanning to let you make mobile payments.
You'll likely be able to use your face to unlock the Galaxy S8, according to rumors about Samsung's upcoming smartphone. So why not use that same face of yours to confirm you want to buy that cup of coffee with that next-generation phone?
(Image credit: Reports suggest your face will do more than just unlock the Galaxy S8 (Credit: Jeremy Lips/Tom's Guide))
That seems to be the thinking at Samsung. Bloomberg reports that Samsung plans to make the S8 capable of using facial recognition technology to make mobile payments, most likely using the company's Samsung Pay mobile wallet. In fact, the Bloomberg report says facial detection will combine with the phone's fingerprint sensor and iris scanning capabilities to verify users for a host of mobile services.
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Don't expect to pay with your face right away, though. Bloomberg, citing "people familiar with the manner," says the feature won't be ready until a few months after the S8's release. Samsung has scheduled a March 29 press event where it's going to unveil the new phone, with the Galaxy S8 expected to ship sometime in April.
The Bloomberg report squares with other rumors we've heard about the Galaxy S8, which is expected to feature both an iris scanner and facial recognition technology. Earlier reports had those features slated to give you multiple ways to unlock your phone, but it sounds like Samsung is looking to expand the security features that will work with those technologies.
Samsung's under pressure to make a big splash with the Galaxy S8 in the wake of last year's disastrous Note 7 rollout and recall. As Bloomberg notes, Samsung also may be looking to pack a lot of features into the Galaxy S8 to get the jump on Apple's iPhone 8, expected to come out later this year. Apple is reportedly working on facial recognition features for its next phone, which are expected to help you unlock your iPhone.
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