LG Innotek develops all-in-one iris scanner, may integrate into G6 phone

LG Innotek unveiled it has developed an all-in-one module with an iris scanner and a front-facing camera, and said “it’s possible” that it will integrate the technology in its upcoming G6 smartphone, according to a report by Android Authority.

The recently-recalled Samsung Galaxy Note 7 became the first mainstream smartphone to feature an iris scanner.

However, unlike the Galaxy Note 7 which features two separate cameras on the front of the device, LG uses a filter changing mechanism to switch between the two functions — taking photos and scanning pupils — in a single module.

This will allow for a more streamlined and sleek phone design since there won’t be two front-facing black lenses on top of all the other key sensors that are typically positioned above the screen.

The all-in-one sensor’s volume is 0.36cm3, which is considerably smaller than the 0.47cm3 volume of a dual setup3.

One anonymous LG official said the company will start integrating the all-in-one iris scanning module into next year’s smartphone models, and has already received multiple orders for the module.

When asked specifically if one of the smartphone models would be the LG G6, the company said that “it is possible” the LG G6 will feature an iris-scanner.

There have also been several reports in recent weeks citing rumors that LG is set to launch its own mobile payment platform called LG Pay.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  iris recognition  |  LG  |  smartphones