Do you remember when Bill Gates predicted that the passwords will no longer in use? It was 2004. It’s been more than 10 years now and this prediction seems to come true very soon. Deploying the human body as a recognition tool could be the alternative to your smartphone passwords.
The passwords are easy to break if they are simple & difficult to remember if they are complex. Password security is a big concern for the smartphone industry. Hence, the biometric solutions come to save the day.
According to JWT’s global report on the future of payments, around 471 million global smartphone users will have biometric solutions in their device. That’s a huge potential market.
These are the five alternatives which could make your passwords redundant…
Fingerprint
Fingerprint scanner/sensor is the most well-known biometric recognition method in a smartphone these days. Many Fingerprint scanner smartphones (even the budget mobiles) are offering this feature in them. Apple had introduced an embedded fingerprint sensor into its iPhone 5S smartphone. Later, the Apple Pay buzzed this feature with its Touch ID.
There are companies like MasterCard who has collaborated with a biometric company Zwipe for fingerprint authenticated payment cards.
Retina/Iris scanner
The Iris recognition is a biometric identification which allows the user to use their iris as a recognition method. It flashes a near-infrared (NIR) light and recognize the patterns of iris and unlocks your smartphone.
The Iris scanner in smartphones became popular through Samsung Galaxy Note 7.
Also, the retina recognition tech is about to come in upcoming mobiles. This method involves the recognition of patterns on the blood vessels of the eye.
Heartbeat
The heartbeat and ECG signals are very complex and hence difficult to replicate. Apple has already applied for a patent to bring an embedded heart rate monitor on upcoming iPhone phones.
A company named as Nymi has developed a wristband which detects your heartbeat and confirms your identity.
Ear shape
We all are aware of fingerprints recorded on sensitive touchscreen panels. But such touchscreens could also detect the shape of a human ear if right software and hardware are used. Ergo Android App by Descartes Biometric is one of the app developers which is working on smartphone ear print technology.
The app is adjustable and comes with customization options. The app is currently limited to smartphone unlocking feature only; however, it could get used for making online purchases.
Typing Speed
The typing pattern, speed, and rhythm of every individual are unique. The keystroke biometric technology records these typing parameters and also determines the hold down time and the time is taken for typing in between different letters.
Face recognition
The facial recognition technology is widely used in Law enforcement and other entities to build databases. The tech for facial recognition requires clear and sharper images for the recognition process. The latest mobiles those are available in the market does show off some jaw-dropping camera specifications. So, the deployment of facial recognition in smartphones could be the next wave in smartphone biometric functions.
Voice
The smartphone speech recognition is already there on our smartphones. Moreover, there are functions which could let you use your voice commands to navigate your smartphone. The next thing your voice can do is to unlock your smartphone.
The voice recognition system authenticates the vocal features such as vocal tract geometry, pitch, harmonics, and range of the users. With the use of voice recognition, the users can use their voice as a password.
