The Galaxy S8 could double up on cameras and inherit a big Note 7 feature

The Samsung Galaxy S8 will reportedly have a dual-lens camera and an iris scanner, and if those features sound familiar they should, because they’ve both been rumored before, but the more sources we hear these claims from the more likely they are to be true.

This time it’s an anonymous official from one of Samsung’s parts suppliers that’s making the claim, in a conversation with the Korea Herald.

Both of these features were always likely – Samsung typically changes its flagship camera each year and with dual-lens cameras popping up on the likes of the iPhone 7 Plus and LG G5, adding one to the Galaxy S8 would make it competitive with rivals.

As for the iris scanner, Samsung already stuck one on the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, and it would make sense to bring it to more phones.

Making it up to suppliers

But according to this latest report, the death of the Note 7 has actually made these features more likely, as doubling up on camera lenses will allow Samsung to help its parts suppliers make up for lost earnings on the Note 7.

Similarly, including an iris scanner will provide work for the company that would have supplied the Note 7’s iris scanner.

Not to mention the fact that with no more Note 7, Samsung’s iris scanner never even got a proper flagship outing, and Samsung is sure to want to give the tech a chance.

All of which suggests that these rumors could be true, but they’re still just rumors for now, so take them with a pinch of salt. We’ll know the truth when Samsung announces the Galaxy S8, likely on February 26.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.