The Galaxy S8 unveiling is less than a couple of weeks away. Samsung will announce the handset on March 29th in New York City. It seems like rumors and leaks about the device would keep flowing in until the official unveiling, and maybe even after that. A new report claims that facial recognition on the Galaxy S8 will allow users to authenticate payments. Another says that the phone’s camera will be able to capture videos at 1,000 frames per second (fps). Meanwhile, a reference to ‘Bixby’ has appeared on Samsung Italy’s website, indicating the imminent arrival of the AI assistant.
Galaxy S8 to capture slow-mo videos at 1000fps
Korean news outlet Naver has learned from inside sources that the Galaxy S8 would be capable of capturing videos at 1,000fps. Most cameras capture 4K videos at 30fps. If it turns out to be true, the Galaxy S8 would leave other flagship smartphones far behind. Apple’s flagship iPhone 7 records 1080p videos at 120fps and 720p videos at 240fps.
A higher frame rate enhances the quality of slow-motion playback. The more frames per second you have, the smoother the slow-mo playback will be. But it may end up consuming a lot of storage space. The report adds that the S8 would feature two front cameras: an 8MP snapper for selfies and another 3.7MP camera for iris scanning. Samsung is expected to keep the rear camera at 12MP.
Use facial recognition for mobile payments
Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg reports that the Galaxy S8 will use facial recognition for mobile payments. The feature will help the phone stand out in the crowded Android smartphone space. The publication adds that the Galaxy S8 will have not one but three different methods for authentication: fingerprint scanner, iris scanner, and facial recognition.
All three methods can be used to verify the identity of the user for accessing different services including Samsung Pay. The Korean electronics giant has relocated the fingerprint scanner to the rear of the handset after it ran out of time to implement the technology into the phone’s display. According to a report from The Korean Economic Daily, the facial recognition system would take just 0.01 seconds to unlock the phone.
Samsung has used facial recognition in past Galaxy devices, but the feature was only limited to unlocking the screens. With the Galaxy S8, the feature will allow users to authenticate payments. Sources told Bloomberg that Samsung had been working to enhance the accuracy rate of its facial detection system for years.
Will Bixby be a full-fledged AI assistant?
On the Privacy page of Samsung Italy, Edoardo Maggio of 9to5Google has spotted reference to the name ‘Bixby.’ Bixby is Samsung’s in-house AI assistant that is set to debut with the Galaxy S8. On the Privacy page, the name Bixby is linked to “voice commands.” But the same paragraph also has a reference to S Voice. Maggio speculates that Bixby might not serve as a “traditional” AI assistant like Siri or Google Assistant. It can be a built-in tool that would allow users to perform the operations of touch UI using voice commands.
