Just a day after Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 7 with iris authentication, and two banks have already revealed plans to develop apps around the biometrics security feature.KEB Hana Bank and Woori Bank said they plan to introduce the system later this month in time with the launch of the Galaxy Note 7, reports Yonhap.While KEB Hana Bank customers do not need authentication certificates for registering with the iris recognition system, Woori Bank will require its customers to have authentication certificates.Shinhan Bank, another major South Korean banks, is also considering whether to introduce the iris recognition system.The smartphone uses an IR camera module in combination with a proximity sensor to recognise when its owner is holding the phone up to his or her face (from 25 to 35 centimeters, or about a foot away).Delta ID's VP Business Development & Marketing, Vivek Khandelwal, told Planet Biometrics that “Samsung's Galaxy Note 7 with an iris scanner is a great validation of iris recognition becoming more mainstream authentication technology in mobile devices. We expect iris scanners to appear in more phones, tablets and laptops, since it is more convenient and secure, works reliably for people across age groups and occupation compared to fingerprints. In the near future, we will also see iris recognition being preferred for higher security use cases, such as mobile banking, payments, enterprise access.He added that Fujitsu, Microsoft have already launched multiple models with iris, even Samsung has launched an iris tablet.”Now with the launch of Note 7, iris is coming to flagship phone for the first time. Hence, this may very well be the tipping point, or perhaps (borrowing from Crossing the Chasm) the final pin in the bowling alley that leads to the tornado”, he said.Early reviews of the iris recognition have been very positive: “Blazing fast is truly an understatement. It's really mind blowing. The second you swipe up on the lock screen, the device instantly unlocks”, writes a reviewer from sammobile.com.The Galaxy Note 7 follows only the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL in terms of major iris recognition deployments on mass market smartphones. However, perhaps crucially it is the first to have both an iris camera and a fingerprint reader.
Korean Banks to use Galaxy’s Note 7 iris recognition system
