With technology advancing day-by-day, it is no surprise that companies are pulling out all stops to outdo each other in the hotly contested smartphone space.
Samsung's impending Galaxy Note 4 is one of the most awaited smartphones of 2014 and now the buzz word is that the device is set to pack in a retina scanner!
Possibly the current blue-eyed boy of rumors, details of the Galaxy Note 4 have leaked online plenty of times and now Samsung's chip division - Samsung Exynos - has revealed an unexpected tit-bit via Twitter.
"Security can be improved using features unique to us. That's what we envision. What would you use?" wrote Samsung Exynos on its Twitter account on Saturday, July 12.
The cryptic Twitter post seems to hint that Samsung intends on introducing retina scanning for its upcoming mobile devices. The tweet is accompanied by an image which shows off a smartphone screen analyzing an eye and says "unlock the future."
The image seems to suggest that the device is likely the stylus-equipped Galaxy Note 4, the successor to the Galaxy Note 3. The image hints that the smartphone will come equipped with a retina scanner, which can possibly be used to unlock the handset - just like the fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S5 or the iPhone 5s.
Earlier in January this year, prior to the launch of the Galaxy S5, Samsung's EVP of mobile business Lee Young Hee hinted to Bloomberg that the company was looking into the retina scanning feature option for future devices.
"Many people are fanatical about iris recognition technology," said Lee at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "We are studying the possibility but can't really say whether we will have it or not on the S5."
Considering the retina scanning feature did not make it to the Galaxy S5, a possibility exists that Samsung was saving it for the Galaxy Note 4, which will likely launch at the IFA 2014. Traditionally, Samsung's Galaxy Note phones and iDevices launch weeks apart from each other and it could be that the Korean company is looking to throw the gauntlet to the iPhone 6 with the retina scanner on board the Galaxy Note 4.
The Galaxy Note 4 is expected to sport a 5.7-inch QHD screen and could come in two variants (one with an Exynos 5433 octa-core processor and the other with Snapdragon 805). The device is also expected to tout 3GB of RAM and 32GB of on-board memory, as well as a 16-megapixel primary camera.
Noted leakster @evleaks has hinted that the Galaxy Note 4 will come in more vibrant hues to lure buyers. Rumors hint at the new hues being Copper Gold, Shimmery White, Charcoal Black and Electric Blue.
Whether the Galaxy Note 4 will be a game changer and deploy a retina scanner, however, remains to be seen.
