Microsoft is expected to launch two high-end Windows 10 flagships this year, and the purported Lumia 940XL may rock an iris scanner.
The latest devices in Microsoft's Lumia range cater to the low-end to mid-range, affordable segment of the smartphone market, packing modest specifications to accommodate budget-friendly price tags.
Microsoft has not launched a high-end Lumia in a good while, but the company is expected to unleash two flagships later this year. Just last month, word came out that Microsoft has two flagships in the works, codenamed "Talkman" and "Cityman." The two smartphones may launch as the Lumia 940 and Lumia 940XL, respectively, and some exciting information has now surfaced regarding the latter.
The two handsets are anticipated to come with top-notch specs and features all around and run the latest Windows 10 for Phone OS out of the box, and at least the Lumia 940XL may sport some other neat tricks as well.
According to trusted tipster @evleaks, the purported Lumia Cityman, expected to launch as the Lumia 940XL, will boast advanced security technology in the form of an iris scanner.
Smartphone security is of utmost importance in today's mobile-driven world, and fingerprint scanners are currently considered among the best forms of biometric authentication. Iris scanners, however, are shaping up as the next big trend for top-notch smartphones, delivering better accuracy and more advanced security. If evleaks turns out to be accurate, the Lumia 940XL will skip the more common fingerprint reader and go straight for an iris scanner.
Smartphones with iris scanners are not unheard of, as other OEMs have already gone down this path, so the idea of an iris scanner-equipped smartphone from a big company such as Microsoft doesn't sound too far-fetched.
Evleaks doesn't make any mention of whether the Talkman, believed to launch as the Lumia 940, will boast the same iris scanner as well. Microsoft could choose to launch the Lumia 940 with a fingerprint reader and the Lumia 940XL with an iris scanner, but it remains unconfirmed at this point.
Microsoft offered no information so far regarding its plans to launch new Lumia flagships this year, but Qualcomm previously revealed that a Snapdragon 810-powered Lumia is in the cards for 2015.
