Just when the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is expected to ship with an Iris scanner, Apple also reportedly working on integrating the iris scanning functionality into iPhone 8.

Expected to be available in September 2018, the iris scanning functionality in iPhone 8 will enable you to perform a wide range of functions such as making payments, device unlocking including verification of a user’s identity.

Touted as a replacement to Touch ID, the internals of your eyes, which is the circular colored muscle of the eye, will be scanned. The muscle contains a complex and random pattern that is unique to each individual.

If you enable iris scanner in iPhone 8, only you will be able to unlock the device. If your phone has been stolen or lost, then unauthorized persons will not be able to work with the device since their iris settings will be different.

In the past, Apple has made a huge investment to integrate iris scanner but was dropped due to implementation restrictions. The company is currently working towards the implementation of the technology since the feature has been introduced by other manufacturers in the smartphone arena.

DigiTimes is not a credible source of information and the rumor should be viewed with some skepticism until confirmed. According to Ming-Chi Kuo who works as an analyst with KGI Securities, Apple is planning to introduce new biometric features in an upcoming iPhone. Instead of confirming iris scanner feature, Kuo also hints about integrating facial scanner in iPhone 8.

Even though the rumor of iris scanner is for the iPhone 8, there is a strong possibility to integrate the functionality in the 2017 release of iPhone. When Samsung has already implemented this feature in 2016, it doesn’t make any sense for the Apple to wait till iPhone 8.

The main advantage of iris scanner is that there is no need to have direct contact to unlock a device. Moreover, you will be able to unlock devices quickly.

The main point to note is that iris scanner will not work properly in low lighting conditions including cases where the user has undergone eye surgeries. Recently, the disclaimer of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 7 was leaked, which revealed several situations where you cannot make use of Iris scanner.

Apple iPhone 8 Specifications

If rumors are to be believed, the upcoming iPhone 8 will feature advanced design modifications like the integration of an edge-to-edge OLED display. Moreover, the device will not feature a physical home button but will be embedded into the display along with camera and touch ID. You can also expect the addition of wireless charging, an enhanced A11 processor in addition to a full glass body similar to that of iPhone 4.

Sometimes, Apple will secretly reveal iris scanner in the upcoming iPhone 7 to beat the competition from Samsung Galaxy Note 7. But this is a remote possibility.

Who would like to wait till iPhone 8 when the competitors have already started to integrate the iris scanner into their devices?

‘Tips, if you have decided to buy the new iPhone 8, the best way to transfer all the content from your old iPhone to new iPhone 8 is to use free iPhone transfer software, which can bulk transfer and delete photos, music, videos, apps, iBooks.