14 DAY TRIAL // Samsung is known to be working on a foldable smartphone codenamed Project Valley, but there isn’t much information on the upcoming device. The South Korean company filed a patent application at the end of last year, detailing multiple biometric ID forms for the new foldable device.
The patent application spotted by Patently Mobile contains some images showing how the new technology will work on foldable smartphones. The new devices would use multiple forms of biometric identification, including fingerprint scanner and iris scanner, similar to the one seen on the Galaxy Note 7. In fact, the biometric identification technology was one of the many selling points of the now discontinued phablet.
However, the South Korean smartphone maker intends to bring additional types of biometric identification technology, including palm print, face, voice, palm line information, and many more. Samsung could also make use of movement pattern information, like walking style or ECG information for unlocking phones.
The new technology could be used on phones, tablets and wearables
The fingerprint and iris scanner will surely be the two main identification forms on the new foldable devices, but users could also combine them with face or palm print for enhanced security. The patent application shows that the new technology could be used on smart devices with touch displays, meaning that it might be incorporated into phones, tablets, and even wearables.
Some patents that Samsung submitted last year describe the foldable smartphone as a scrolling device that would allow users to “open the scroll” in order to get information, like the weather, date or time.
Samsung is said to be working on two foldable smartphones, one that would have a dual-display setup and the other with a single flexible screen. Some industry reports stated that Samsung could announce the new devices next year or in 2019, while others say that the South Korean company could release at least one foldable phone this year.