The LG G6 may already seem like yesterday’s news, given Samsung’s Galaxy S8 unveiling a few weeks ago. However, a report from The Korea Herald indicates LG may have something pretty big in store for its latest flagship.
The publication says LG will soon debut its own three-dimensional facial recognition tech in the G6 alongside its proprietary contactless payment system, LG Pay, and that both features could hit the market in the form of an update as early as June.
The tech was reportedly developed by a company known as Oez, and chosen because it appears to be a relatively resource-light solution that could be easily integrated into some of LG’s phones already on the market, like last year’s G5 and V20.
If this does come to pass, the South Korean tech firm will be the first to bring payment by facial recognition to the masses. Apple is reportedly working on its own system for the upcoming iPhone X, and Samsung has added facial recognition as a form of authentication for the Galaxy S8, though it cannot yet be used for payments.
In Samsung’s case, that’s probably for the best, as it was discovered shortly after the device’s reveal late last month that the Galaxy S8’s system could be fooled with a photo. For that reason, the Herald’s report claims that Oez and LG have instituted security measures to ensure that theirs is harder to crack.
Meanwhile, LG finally appears to be gearing up its long-rumored payment system for a June release. The company confirmed as much to Reuters in March, ending more than a year of speculation and missed deadlines. That said, its only surefire destination for the moment appears to be South Korea. It is unclear if LG Pay will ever see the light of day elsewhere in the world.