Samsung's Galaxy S4 rumored to use eye-tracking software

Samsung's new phone will track users' eyes to perform tasks like scrolling through Web pages, according to a new report.

by Casey Newton

March 4, 2013 11:11 AM PST Follow @CaseyNewton

Will the next Galaxy smartphone use eye-tracking software?

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

People looking at the Samsung Galaxy S4 may soon learn that it's looking back at them, tracking their eye movements to perform key tasks.

That's the word in a new report that says eye-tracking software will be built into the new smartphone, which Samsung plans to announce in New York on March 14.

The New York Times, citing a person who has used the phone, says it uses unspecified technology to monitor users' eyes and translate that motion into action: "For example, when users read articles and their eyes reach the bottom of the page, the software will automatically scroll down to reveal the next paragraphs of text."

Samsung filed for a trademark in the United States on both "Samsung Eye Scroll" and "Eye Pause," reports the Times, which also notes that the Galaxy S3 already uses face-recognition technology to keep the phone's screen illuminated when a person is looking at it.