Iris Ring trademark application hints at iris scanners making a return

Samsung has filed a trademark application with KIPRIS to secure an unusual moniker or brand called Iris Ring. The trademark application was filed last week and it was discovered by our colleagues at GalaxyClub. It doesn’t contain any logos or information regarding the potential use of the Iris Ring name but the application was filed by Samsung Display, which raises some interesting questions.

Given that the trademark was filed by Samsung’s display arm and not the mobile division, logic dictates that the Iris Ring name should pertain to a product or technology that’s in development in Samsung Display’s labs. As to what it could be, your guess is as good as ours, but we’re very tempted to explore the possibility of iris scanners making a comeback.

Is Samsung planning the return of iris scanners?

This is pure conjecture, mind you, as the trademark application simply doesn’t contain enough information to determine the purpose of Iris Ring. Nevertheless, a most-exciting scenario we can think of is Samsung Display and the mobile division working together to create under-panel iris scanners.

Regular iris scanners have been used by Samsung flagships before but the technology was removed with the Galaxy S10 and subsequent flagship models, or in other words, with the emergence of bezelless displays. Meanwhile, Samsung is reportedly working on creating under-panel cameras for its phones and the development reached a point where the technology was almost implemented into the Galaxy Z Fold 2 – if a previous industry rumor is to be believed.

Iris scanner are essentially camera sensors. Granted, they’re not conventional, but they work on the same principles as the cameras you use to capture stills. And with under-panel cameras possibly becoming a reality in the near future, Samsung’s mobile and display divisions might be working together to bring iris scanners back in conjunction with under-panel technology.

It’s a stretch, we agree, so don’t get your hopes up yet, but the trademark application is real and the name is undeniably intriguing. Perhaps we will be lucky enough to see iris scanners returning in 2021. Or perhaps this trademark will never materialize in the form of a real product. But if it will, what’s your best guess on what Iris Ring could be?