When the rumors surface that the Note 7 will have an iris scanner, many people (including me) questioned the use of the feature when a perfectly good fingerprint system was in place. After all, the process of authenticating the user is quite complex.
The front facing camera has to locate the position of the eyes while the iris scanner verifies the irises to authenticate the user. The process won’t work if the phone is placed too near or too far from the face. Additionally, the scanner won’t work if the user has colored contact lenses, sunglasses or if the holding hand moves the device too frequently.
A leaked disclaimer also warned the users from using the iris scanner on an infant’s eyes.
But what changed my perspective of the device is a leaked video showing the scanner in action. The entire video lasted only 4 seconds but the Note 7 authenticated its users in less than 2 seconds. That’s more than reasonable and won’t hinder people who unlock their phone about 50 times in a day.
There is also hidden motives behind putting the scanner in the device. It could be a main selling point for the super expensive phone and also helps in authenticating the transactions while using Samsung pay. The fingerprint sensor works fine but it is not 100% secure. Someone might lift off the prints from a coffee mug you used a while ago and use them to make purchases using the mobile payment service. There is currently no method to trick the iris scanner making it the perfect security system for safeguarding the phone.