14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung demoed an update for the Flow app at MWC 2017 that allows Galaxy smartphone owners to authenticate into their Windows 10 PCs by simply scanning the fingerprint on the phone, and now it looks like the company is aiming for more updates enabling biometric authentication.
Windows Hello is Microsoft’s own biometric authentication feature integrated into Windows 10, and it works with a number of gadgets, including not only fingerprint scanners but also iris scanners.
With Samsung planning to offer iris scanners on its Galaxy smartphones, the company is now planning updates to its Flow app that would make it possible for users to configure the Flow app to work not only with the fingerprint but also with these new sensors, thus making it possible for them to log into their Windows 10 PCs wirelessly.
This feature, however, might not be tied to Windows Hello, and owner information could be stored on the Galaxy smartphone, which means that users can have the authentication details with them wherever they go.
Samsung iris scanners
As far as iris scanners on Samsung devices are concerned, there’s a chance that the next Galaxy S8 to be unveiled in March will come with such a feature, as the company has made the odd decision of placing the fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone just next to the camera.
With the fingerprint scanner pretty impossible to reach given its position, Samsung is trying to offer users an alternative authentication system, and iris scanners that would automatically grant them access to the phone would be integrated into the upper part of the front fascia.
An iris scanner was first available on a Samsung device on the Note 7, which was retired a few months ago due to battery issues that caused some units to catch fire.
At this point, there’s no ETA as to when the new authentication features could arrive for Samsung owners, but given the fact that the debut of the S8 is just around the corner, expect this functionality to land shortly after its launch.