Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Tipped to Offer ‘More Secure’ PolarID to Compete With Apple's Face ID

Samsung's purported PolarID feature is said to work without the need for dedicated sensors, unlike Apple's FaceID biometric authentication system.

Written by Shaurya Tomer, Edited by David Delima | Updated: 12 June 2024 12:17 IST

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Tipped to Offer ‘More Secure’ PolarID to Compete With Apple's Face ID

Samsung is tipped to retain the existing single hole punch camera cutout, even when PolarID arrives

Highlights

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may offer a Face ID competitor with PolarID
The Galaxy S25 Ultra was previously expected to arrive with the feature
Tipster claims it may not require dedicated sensors for face recognition

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will introduce a new facial recognition technology when it is launched by the company, according to a tipster. At present, even flagship Samsung smartphones do not feature a dedicated sensor, compared to Apple's Face ID which is powered by its TrueDepth camera as well as additional sensors. Face ID has remained the gold standard for facial recognition technology on mobile devices for nearly eight years, but that may soon change, with a tipster now claiming that Samsung is working on a Face ID competitor that could arrive on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra or Galaxy S26 Ultra Could Feature PolarID

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), tipster Haizaki Ryouhei suggested that Samsung may be developing a new facial recognition technology called PolarID. As per the claims, the technology has reached the premarket stage, meaning it could be ready to be shipped with smartphones.

As per the tipster, PolarID does not require dedicated sensors for facial recognition. Instead, it it relies on the Snapdragon chipset, along with the capabilities of Samsung LSI – the division which designs core semiconductors. Furthermore, it would allow Samsung to keep the same hole punch design without needing to add additional sensors.

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It is impossible for this technology to be used in S25U. It will be in S26U. The reason is that Samsung is slowly innovating to imitate Apple, and to confirm this, they were able to make 50mp 3x in S24U instead of S25U, and it seems that all of this is in order to save money. https://t.co/lyGID3kDqA
— Sawyer Galox (@Sawyergalox) June 8, 2024

It is also suggested that the ISOCELL Vizion 931, a global shutter image sensor which offers precise motion tracking, might be production-ready and could be used on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Ryouhei also claimed that PolarID will be “even more secure” than Face ID, emphasizing that it would be better than other facial recognition technologies around.

However, another tipster named Sawyer Galox contradicted these claims, suggesting that the technology isn't ready yet and only the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra may feature it, which is speculated to launch in early 2026.

“The reason is that Samsung is slowly innovating to imitate Apple, and to confirm this, they were able to make 50MP 3x in S24U instead of S25U, and it seems that all of this is in order to save money”, the tipster claimed in an X post.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 the best foldable phone you can buy in India right now? We discuss the company's new clamshell-style foldable handset on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Further reading: Samsung, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Apple

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More