Samsung is reportedly planning to ditch the fingerprint scanner on their next Tab release, but before you start yelling ‘security breach!’, hear them out…
It’s almost certain the company will include its Intelligent Scan feature on the Galaxy Tab S4. The security feature makes use of an iris scanner and facial recognition tech at the same time, and is currently available on the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus.
Samsung’s database reportedly already has the firmware for this device preloaded, and a very similar animation to the one you get when you set up the feature on smartphones was found buried deep in the files. That probably took some serious snooping. 
The Intelligent Scan feature uses both the iris (eyeball) scanner tech and facial (face) recognition tech simultaneously. The device allows the user to unlock their phone using the iris scanner, and if you’re out in the bright South African sun and that fails, it’ll attempt to confirm your identity with the facial scanning sensor.
Getting rid of the fingerprint scanner entirely is a bold decision from Samsung, but perhaps the inclusion of an iris scanner will allow for a more comfortable way to unlock your tablet when you want to use it. It should make sense considering the size of a tablet — a smartphone always rests in the hand in a similar way, but one never picks up a tablet the same way. The size makes it clunky and if you picked it up on a side or the top, you’d have to adjust to be able to unlock with your fingerprint.
Samsung is on to something here — Apple should take notes. Of course, rumours suggest it has been, and we might see Apple’s FaceID making its way from the iPhone X into next-gen iPads… and bidding the TouchID home button farewell in the process.
It’s rumoured Samsung will be unveiling the tablet at the end of August. But before then we’ll be treated to some Samsung goodness with the launch of the Galaxy Note 9 on August 9.
