Next Year's iPhone Said to Include Iris Scanner to Authenticate With Your Eyes

[MacRumors]

Apple is planning to include iris scanning capabilities on the tenth-anniversary iPhone launching in 2017, according to a Chinese-language MoneyDJ report translated by DigiTimes. The latter website, citing supply chain sources, previously said the feature would not debut on iPhones until at least 2018.

An iris scanner could complement or replace Touch ID as a way to verify a user's identity, enabling iPhone users to unlock their smartphone, make payments, and more by authenticating with their eyes. A person's iris, or the circular colored muscle of the eye, contains a complex and random pattern that is unique to each individual.

An iris scanner on a smartphone would not be unprecedented, as Samsung included one on the new Galaxy Note7 released earlier this month.

Taiwan-based supplier Xintec, an affiliate of Apple manufacturer TSMC, will begin mass production of iris-recognition chips in 2017, likely in an effort to secure orders from Apple and other smartphone vendors next year:

Xintec is expected to enter mass production for iris-recognition chips in 2017, which will boost the backend house's revenues for the year, the report cited market watchers as saying. New orders for iris-recognition sensors include those for the chips that will be embedded in the 2017 series of iPhone, the watchers were also quoted in the report.

Xintec said the company does not comment on rumors or speculation about specific products or customer orders.

Based on rumors, Apple's tenth-anniversary iPhone is shaping up to be a more significant upgrade compared to the iPhone 7 series expected at Apple's September 7 event. Other rumors surrounding the so-called iPhone 8 include a 5.8-inch curved OLED screen, glass casing, an embedded or completely removed home button, wireless charging, an enhanced Taptic Engine, and more.

Article Link: Next Year's iPhone Said to Include Iris Scanner to Authenticate With Your Eyes

 

[Munky]

Nah, just leave me with touch ID. I'm not always looking at my phone when unlocking, and it would be faster to pull it out of my pocket with my thumb on it and have it unlocked by the time it is facing up than to pull it out, turn it on, look into it, let it take it's time because I'm in a dark area, and then unlock.

 

[MacFan1957]

Imagine having to stand there and scan your eye, each time you want to use ApplePay. I think I'd rather use TouchID, I look less of a pillock.

 

[WannaGoMac]

I don't believe this rumor for a second. Iris scan is not as reliable or fast, opens Apple to "you blinded me" law suits, doesn't really improve anything, and Apple has spent years getting users used to TouchID and improving the system.

Edited i wrote retinal instead of iris

 

[Sirious]

Yet another reason to wait!

 

[carambo]

Who cares about iris scanner... Where is my new Macbook Pro ??

 

[Rogifan]

I call BS on this. Easy to do coming from Digitimes. Also every year right around the time the new iPhone is announced we get all these rumors on the next iPhone supposedly will have. BS.

 

[smacrumon]

The next all new iPhone can scan my iris any time. I won't be able to keep my eyes off it.

 

[yanki01]

no....it's not.

 

[rGiskard]

Retina scan is not as reliable or fast, opens Apple to "you blinded me" law suits...

Well, good thing the rumor says nothing about retina scans, eh?

 

[zombierunner]

Evil Corp stuff right here.

 

[T-Will]

Oh great, now we're going to have people stealing eyeballs, just like we had all those stories of chopped off fingers when Touch ID came out.

 

[Steve121178]

Yet another reason to wait!

Is it really? I'll be enjoying the iPhone 7 for a whole year before I buy the 7s or whatever they call the 2017 version.

 

[iamgalt]

Who cares about iris scanner... Where is my new Macbook Pro ??

You'll have to wait till October to see that update, if we're lucky. I would like to think that they're not going to wait till next year to release it, unless they are waiting for Kobylake.

 

[Jsameds]

Dear readers, moaning about lack of Mac updates is not going to make them come any sooner, so please, please stop it.

It's incredibly annoying and 99% of the time off topic.

Thank you.

 

[pmau]

Apple dropped the ball this year. There's no need to speculate over next years model, because there will also be plenty of news from the competition.
If Apple wants to increase sales, they need to do something exciting, not incremental BS to optimize their supply chain.

 

[S.B.G]

An iris scanner could complement or replace Touch ID

Even if an iris scanner is employed, I don’t' see Apple doing away with the Touch ID. Its too easy and convenient to use when picking up the device and wanting to use it.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Well, this brings a new meaning to "Retina Display".

 

[allenvanhellen]

Half the girls I've dated in Asia wore colored contacts, and 80% had iPhones.

 

[sdiori]

Not interested.

This rumor, however unlikely, does serve to reinforce what I believe will be the most lackluster iPhone event in quite some time.

I feel no excitement this year, which is sad.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Half the girls I've dated in Asia wore colored contacts, and 80% had iPhones.

80%?! Just by your statistic alone, that's a lot of dating.

 

[nikhsub1]

Is it really? I'll be enjoying the iPhone 7 for a whole year before I buy the 7s or whatever they call the 2017 version.

Me too, as I always have done. I think Apple should skip the upcoming phone and release this one rumored on June 29th...

 

[sleepydinosaur]

Doubt I'd use an iris scanner. TouchID works great.

 

[pmau]

Half the girls I've dated in Asia wore colored contacts, and 80% had iPhones.

Good for you ... does that relate to rose gold or to retina scanning?
I don't get it.

 

[neuropsychguy]

I thought next year's iPhone was going to unlock by acquiring blood and running a DNA sequence to match. Or you will be able to spit on your phone if you don't want the built in Liquidmetal® needle to stick you.