Samsung launches Galaxy Tab Iris with iris recognition technology for government and businesses in India

We've long heard that Samsung is going to release consumer devices with iris recognition technology and we very well might see that happen with the Galaxy Note 6 later this year. Before it rolls out iris recognition technology in a flagship handset, Samsung appears to have decided to showcase it in a product with limited scale. The company today announced the Galaxy Tab Iris, a tablet equipped with iris recognition technology meant only for the government and businesses in India.

Aside from being a conventional Samsung tablet, the Galaxy Tab Iris is also an integrated and highly secure biometric device that's ready for Aadhar authentication. Aadhaar is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the government, it serves as a proof of identity and address for individuals anywhere in India. Any individual in India who is a resident and meets the verification process can enrol for Aadhaar.

The Galaxy Tab Iris will also be useful in providing paperless and cashless services in various industries like banking as well as eGovernance services like taxation, passport, education and healthcare. It will support government benefit programs and allow banks and financial institutions to easily process an individual's authentication, regardless of any language or literacy barriers. An Identity SDK is also being offered so that app developers can leverage the iris recognition technology to build apps for payments, financial inclusion, and authentication.

The tablet looks and feels like a quintessential Samsung tablet. It features a 7-inch display, 8GB storage with microSD card support, a 5-megapixel rear camera for pictures and document scanning, USB OTB Host support, 3,600mAh battery as well as support for 14 local languages. It has a dual-eye scanner for contactless iris scanning and greater security.

Samsung has showcased its iris recognition technology properly for the first time with the Galaxy Tab Iris and this is a good sign. Its latest trademark registrations already hint that the Galaxy Note 6 will feature an iris scanner and this latest development only makes it seem more likely that the company's next flagship will be its first to feature an iris scanner.