Blink And You’ll Miss It – Fujitsu Uses Eye-Scanning To Unlock Your Phone

Smartphone security might be about to get a lot more personal thanks to a new system that uses eye-scanning to unlock your device.

Fujitsu has announced the development of an iris scanner, integrated into a smartphone camera, which uses an scan to unlock and authorise use of a device.

The company has teamed up with Japanese carrier NTT Docomo to launch the scanner in a new smartphone, the Fujitsu Arrows NX F-04G, which will be available later this summer – although at the moment it’ll only go on sale in Japan.

Eyes Right

The new device (pictured right) has a 5.2in 1440-by-2560 resolution touchscreen, octa-core Snapdragon 810 processor, NFC, 21MP rear camera and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.

But it is the front lens which is the most interesting. It uses an infrared sensor and an infrared LED light to illuminate the user’s eyes, verifying their unique iris pattern.

The scanner can even be used to authorise payments made using the smartphones, replacing the need for traditional passwords.

Support for biometric security options such as iris scanning has grown rapidly in recent years as consumers look for extra safety when using their devices.

British consumers in particular are increasingly likely to support and use biometrics in their technology, with a recent Visa Europe study finding that three-quarters of 16-24 year olds in the UK would feel comfortable using information such as fingerprint scans, facial recognition or retina scanning in place of traditional passcodes.

Overall, three-quarters (76 percent) of this age group said that they would feel comfortable making a payment using biometric security, with over two thirds (69 percent) believe this will make their lives faster and easier.

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