Samsung has confirmed that it is researching iris scanning security technology for its future smartphones, but its upcoming Galaxy S5 may employ a fingerprint reader instead — just like Apple’s iPhone 5s. A Galaxy S5 APK file named “FingerprintService” has been leaked ahead of the handset’s release.

We don’t know what the APK file consists of — all we have is a screenshot of its filename. Normally we’d be pretty suspicious about something so vague, but given that the screenshot comes from the ever reliable @evleaks, we can’t help but trust its authenticity.

Let’s assume for now, then, that the Galaxy S5 will have a fingerprint scanner. To many, that won’t come as much of a surprise at all; the iPhone 5s has a fingerprint scanner, and we all know how Samsung likes to follow Apple — so it kind of seemed inevitable. But what does that say about the Galaxy S5’s rumored iris scanning technology?

Earlier this month, Samsung executive vice president Lee Young Hee confirmed during an interview with Bloomberg that the company was “studying the possibility” of bringing iris recognition technology to the Galaxy S5. But Lee also insisted that she could not confirm the handset would actually get one.

If Samsung decided that the technology would take too long to develop, or it would cost too much to implement right now, then it may have settled on a fingerprint scanner instead. That certainly seems to be the case, because it’s highly unlikely the device would offer both.

@evleaks also published another screenshot of the “3DTourViewer_WQHD_K.apk.” There’s lots of speculation over what this might be; some believe it could indicate 3D gestures, others say a revamped Gallery app, while the “3DTourViewer” name suggests to me that it may hint at some kind of augmented reality tour feature.

Whatever the app itself may be, it’s interesting to note the mention of “WQHD” in its name. WQHD is another name for 2K, and this strengthens recent reports that have claimed at least one model of the Galaxy S5 will boast a 2K display.

It’s certainly beginning to look like the Galaxy S5 will be well worth looking forward to, whether you like Samsung’s smartphones or not.

• Source@evleaks