ZTE Blade S6 users will soon be able to unlock their phone with their “eyeprint”

One of the cooler features of the ZTE Grand S3 is the ability to unlock the device simply by looking at it. Now this Eyeprint ID feature is coming to the Blade S6, via an OTA scheduled for this summer.

Launched in February, the Blade S6 is a capable mid-ranger featuring a 5-inch HD display, a Snapdragon 615 processor, a 2,400-mAh battery, and a 13MP rear camera. Our Lanh liked that the Blade S6 snaps great images, is fast, and runs Lollipop, though the uninspiring design and somehow cheap build quality held the device back.

Though ZTE can’t do a lot about the hardware, the Chinese company can add new software features and improve existing ones. Case in point, the addition of Eyeprint ID, a novel technology that makes it possible to unlock your device just by looking at it. Developed by EyeVerify, a maker of biometric security solutions, Eyeprint ID uses a phone’s front camera to scan the user’s eye, identifying blood vessels patterns that are unique to each individual. EyeVerify promises an accuracy of 99.99%, unlock times of under a second, and proper security. This is a different solution from iris scanning, which a number of Android OEMs are currently experimenting with.

For a look at Eyeprint ID in action, check out our hands-on with the ZTE Grand S3 from MWC 2015, starting around the 2:05 mark.

As you can see in the video, the feature is a bit slow, but according to ZTE, recognition speeds should improve as you use the device. For users who demand the highest level of security, Eyeprint ID could be a better choice than password-, PIN-, or pattern-based locking.

Eyeprint ID will hit the Blade S6 over the air sometime this summer. ZTE also announced that the Blade S6 is now widely available in UK, Germany, and Spain, and coming coon in Scandinavia. In Asia, the device now sells in Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, while India and Thailand will follow in the next two months.