Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+: Three features you might not know about

Iris scanner and facial recognition 

Remember the iPhone 5s? It was the first iPhone that came with a new fingerprint scanner or “TouchID”. And ever since then every iPhone out there in the market has a quick unlocking feature. To make the Galaxy S8 and S8+ different from the iPhone, Samsung included the iris scanner which, according to the company can be used to unlock the phone or to gain access to the Secure folder.

Basically, the scanner uses an infrared sensor to detect patterns in a user’s iris. Simply hold the device from your face with the screen facing toward you, and position your eyes in the circles on the screen – and you’re done. No, this is not the first time Samsung has added an iris scanner to Galaxy-branded smartphone. Last year, the Galaxy Note 7 (now-defunct) too, featured an iris scanner. Both smartphones also include facial recognition feature. The devices feature an 8-megapixel front-facing camera that boasts facial recognition technology allowing users to login with their face.

Also read: Five reasons why Samsung Galaxy S8 is not a great upgrade for S7 users

No physical home button 

As you might guess, the Galaxy S8 doesn’t include a physical home button. To make room for the “Infinity” display, Samsung decided to kill the traditional physical home button. Instead, there is a pressure-sensitive home button embedded underneath the display. So yes, the home button, as well as navigation keys, are now entirely software based.

Bluetooth 5.0 

In addition, the Galaxy S8 is the first phone to come equipped with Bluetooth 5.0. For those who’re not aware, Bluetooth 5.0 is twice as fast as the current standard (v4.2); and it offers the four times the range. Plus, the Galaxy S8 will also have a “Bluetooth Dual Audio” feature. This feature allows the phone to stream audio to two Bluetooth headsets or speakers simultaneously, while still allowing users to control each device.