Samsung is reportedly considering other hardware changes to manage costs.
Samsung's Galaxy S27 Ultra is expected to succeed the Galaxy S26 Ultra (pictured)
Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra may not get the Polar ID face unlock system that earlier reports had suggested. A new claim from a tipster indicates that Samsung has no current plans to bring the technology to its upcoming flagship. The Galaxy S27 series is expected to arrive as Samsung's next-generation flagship lineup, with the Ultra model likely to sit at the top of the range. The tipster also said the company does not appear to be preparing dedicated facial recognition hardware for its Galaxy phones, casting further doubt on the rumoured feature.
Tipster kro (@kro_roe) claims on X that Samsung shows no indication it plans to bring Polar ID to the Galaxy S27 Ultra. The tipster also said Samsung does not appear to be developing dedicated facial recognition hardware for its upcoming Galaxy phones.
The rumours stem from Samsung's reported testing of Metalenz's Polar ID technology. It uses polarisation sensing and optical metasurfaces to map facial features and could enable 3D facial authentication without a large display cutout. Samsung's System LSI division reportedly tested the technology last year, but the work remained experimental.
System LSI handles semiconductor components and image sensors, while Samsung's Mobile eXperience division develops consumer smartphones. As a result, testing by the semiconductor unit does not confirm adoption in a Galaxy device. Metalenz has also worked with Samsung's ISOCELL Vizion team, which further fuelled speculation about a potential Galaxy implementation.
The South Korean tech giant is instead expected to retain an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner for secure authentication, alongside camera-based face unlock for convenience. Skipping dedicated facial recognition hardware could also help control production costs for the Galaxy S27 Ultra.
Samsung is reportedly considering other hardware changes to manage costs, including consolidating telephoto camera modules while maintaining or improving imaging performance without raising the phone's retail price. The reported testing does not rule out Polar ID appearing on a future Galaxy device, but the latest tip suggests the Galaxy S27 Ultra will not use it.
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