First look at the Galaxy Note 7 front panel 'confirms' iris scanner

Note 5

As unlikely as it once seemed an iris scanner has started to seem like a probable feature of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 given the number of leaks and rumors pointing to one, and now we may have got our first actual look at it.

An image purportedly showing the front panel of the Note 7, which was obtained by @OnLeaks and shared with Android Authority, shows far more lenses above the screen than you'll see on a typical Samsung handset.

While all those lenses aren't necessarily there for iris scanning it's hard to think what else they could be used for and they're in line with a recent iris scanner patent application from the company, uncovered by Patently Mobile.

Note 7 front panel

Edging towards the S7

Other than the apparent presence of an iris scanner the front panel looks a lot like the front of the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, complete with curves on each edge of the screen, which is another feature that has been widely rumored.

There's still a bezel below the screen with a cut-out for a home button, but what it lacks is a Samsung logo, which on the S7 Edge sits above the screen and has presumably been removed here to shrink the bezel.

Of course the image could be fake, but @OnLeaks is one of the more reputable leakers and the shot is in line with existing rumors about the phone. With the Galaxy Note 7 expected to land in early August it's also about time we started seeing clearer looks at it.

Other recent (and believable) rumors include a 5.8-inch QHD screen, 6GB of RAM and a long-lasting battery of between 3,600mAh and 4,200mAh. In other words, this is a phone that should be worth waiting for.

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.