Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra aims for perfect facial unlock, better than Apple

A lot has happened since Samsung introduced flagship security-focused solutions: iris scanning is now almost a decade old, and after being abandoned, the series has continued to rely solely on the ultrasonic reader.

Things should change with Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra, rumors are growing more insistent. The flagship — far ahead of us, at the moment — should offer the technology Polar ID, an even more sophisticated version of Cupertino’s Face ID.

Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra, more hints on Face ID: the new technology will be better than Apple’s

Polar ID is an advanced solution developed by Metalenz: unlike current systems, the new meta-optic technology is able to extract complex data from a single image, analyzing not only the contours of the face but also the vitality of human tissues to distinguish a real face from 3D masks or other sophisticated counterfeiting tools.

Thanks to the integration of the ISOCELL Vizion 931 sensor and a dedicated illuminator, Polar ID guarantees flawless operation in any lighting condition, eliminating the need to use the screen flash to illuminate the face even in the darkest environments.

The most evident advantage for the end user, however, lies in the system’s compactness, which requires such a small space that it can be comfortably housed under the display or inside a classic punch-hole design, resulting in much smaller than Apple’s Face ID.

Practically, this would allow the Galaxy S27 Ultra to maintain a clean and immersive display, offering, however, the same, if not higher, reliability of Cupertino’s system. Note that this is not the first time Polar ID’s debut on the upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra has been discussed. Already in previous months there have been rumors about it, but clearly we are still far from having any certainties.

What we know about the future flagship

The rumors surrounding the Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra outline a device that could swing between the need for technological change to compete with Chinese manufacturers and the usual caution that characterizes the brand.

The camera department is at the center of conflicting rumors. Some sources suggest a major upgrade, while others hypothesize a more conservative strategy.

There is talk of the debut of the new sensor ISOCELL HP6 200 MP with an optical format of 1/1.3″, which would focus on the efficiency of the internal architecture rather than the size. However, other voices suggest that Samsung might keep the old sensor HP2 to contain costs.

An update for the ultra-wide lens and, above all, the 3X optical zoom is expected, which could move from the current 10 MP sensors to high-resolution sensors of 50 or even 200 MP. Among other features, 8K video recording at 60 fps.

The heart of the device should be the new proprietary chipset, Exynos 2700: identified with the model code S5E9975, the SoC is expected to be based on a 2-nanometer (SF2P) second-generation manufacturing process. It is said to be a 10-core arrangement with clock speeds ranging from 2.3 GHz to 2.88 GHz.

The chip would include a GPU Xclipse 970 and the device would be equipped with 12 GB of RAM. Samsung is evaluating the Heat Path Block (HPB) technology to optimize temperatures of the processor and memory.

To make room for these new technologies (larger camera modules or the new Polar ID security system) and perhaps a larger battery, Samsung could take a drastic decision. There is a possibility that the integrated S Pen housing will be removed, marking the end of a historic feature inherited from the Note series.