Samsung's Future Galaxy Phones Could Add Palm Reading To Display Password Hints

We've all forgotten a password at some point in our online travails, and have needed to resort to password hints to retrieve or reset said password. In most cases, these hints are easily guessed by nefarious parties using social engineering. As we’re learned over the years, such breakdowns in security chains can have rather disastrous results.
samsung palmreading

A patent filed [PDF] by Samsung, however, looks to take the uncertainty regarding password hints out of the equation with what is effectively a palm reading. Samsung’s smartphone-based system will scan the unique lines that are spread across the palm of your hand. Once your palm is scanned, and you are authenticated as the rightful owner of the device, the phone will display incomplete characters from your password hint. The full password hint won't be given, but it should be enough to trigger your memory to input the correct answer.

We don't think that we'll see such technology taking the place of first-tier authentication systems like fingerprint scanning (seen on just about every modern smartphone these days) or facial scanning (as seen with Face ID on the iPhone X). But as a solution for a second line of defense like a password hint, it seems like a usable method.

Samsung's Galaxy S9 flagship is reportedly set to launch early next year, but it's unknown if that flagship device will feature a palm reader. We do know, however, that the smartphone will feature a Samsung Exynos 9810 or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor along with dual cameras on its backside.

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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