New reports detail potential features for Samsung’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5. The device is said to pack fingerprint-reading technology instead of a rumored iris scanner, but to also offer better “Air gestures” features than its predecessor. The Korea Herald has learned that the Galaxy S5 may indeed include a fingerprint reader, which could be placed under the screen, allowing the user to press anywhere on the display to initiate fingerprint-based actions. An unnamed source familiar with the matter said that an iris scanner would not be intuitive and user-friendly, as such a feature may not be convenient to use in many instances such as movie theaters, in bed or while driving.
Furthermore, an iris scanner would require a third camera to be included in the device, whose sole purpose would be to scan the iris of the user, and therefore the Galaxy S5 may be thicker as it would use three camera sensors instead of just two. Even so, smartphone iris scanners may arrive at some point in the coming years.
However, a new Phone Arena report contradicts The Korea Herald’s story when it comes to iris scanners. The publication has learned from a tipster that the Galaxy S5 will feature a 2K QHD display (2560 x 1440 resolution), 2900mAh battery, 20-megapixel camera and a “state of the art iris sensor and wide range of health accessories.” The same tipster said the phone will not be available in a metal version, and instead it’ll be made of plastic – although the phone is said to have a different “design language” than its predecessor.
When it comes to software features, Korean publication ET News says that the Galaxy S5 will offer better hover technology than its predecessor, and therefore better Air Gestures support. The Galaxy S4 has various Air Gestures in place, which allow the user to control the handset without touching the display. These include turning on the screen while the display is in standby (Quick glance), scrolling through web pages (Air jump), moving to the next or previous item (Air browse), moving icons on the display (Air Move) and accepting calls by moving the hand over a sensor (Air call-accept).
According to ET News, the phone be the world’s first device to offer three-dimensional, multitouch-like gestures technology (support for multiple simultaneous gestures).
