This big facial recognition upgrade may be coming to the Galaxy S27 Ultra

Samsung might be working on a major upgrade for authentication via facial recognition on the Galaxy S27 Ultra, if a new rumor is to be believed. The rumored solution would be vastly superior to the current implementation that relies on just a 2D image scan from the front selfie camera.

The rumor does come from a rather unknown source who doesn't have a significant track record to go on, and it's far too early to take anything seriously about the Galaxy S27 Ultra anyway, since it won't be out until 2027.

A leaker going by @SPYGO19726 on X claims that early test firmware for the Galaxy S27 Ultra has references to “Polar ID v1.0” in the biometric security framework. Internal logs are claimed to describe it as a “polarized-light authentication system.”

It further claimed that this authentication method seems to be “tied to the front ISOCELL Vizion sensor and a new secure enclave routine labeled BIO-Fusion Core.” This facial authentication mechanism is claimed to have an unlock latency of 180ms with better protection against spoofing.

This would, at least in theory, be superior to existing solutions that rely on IR sensors. The use of a high-resolution polarization signature of the skin would not just make face unlock safer but also make it work under most lighting conditions and even when the user is wearing a mask or sunglasses.

It's worth mentioning here, though, that an earlier rumor about the Galaxy S26 Ultra's camera from this leakster has led to a popcorn-worthy spat with other leakers, so best to take this with a grain of salt for now. Let's concern ourselves with the Galaxy S26 Ultra for now which is due in a few months, there's still a way to go until the Galaxy S27 Ultra becomes a reality.