LG wants to see eye-to-eye with the bigger smartphone companies in terms of innovation, as the electronics manufacturer's new LG G7 Android phone might feature an advanced iris scanner as a security feature.

More than that, LG seems to be calling dibs on the said specific technology according to a report by Dutch website LetsGoDigital, as a patent seems to be underway. Iris scanning appears to be the next step in security technology for smartphones as not only will it lock or unlock the device, but it can also protect sensitive data for the user, where the scanner can even be integrated with some apps to activate only for the owner.

The iris scanner works by registering changes in the iris size of the user and will even adjust the phone's screen brightness to compensate for the eyes. In addition to the security benefits of the rumored iris scanner, the new technology will also be using infrared light in order to scan eyes, working like a camera as well. The said infrared camera will then be able to switch to a normal one, possibly eliminating the need for a large front camera near the phone screen.

This could also mean that the top bezel of the upcoming LG G7 could get even smaller, making the display size larger.

Beyond the new security and camera feature, the specifications of the next flagship phone from LG are not yet confirmed. It is rumored that the phone will be using next-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor, but that would mean the phone will have a late 2018 unveiling. Otherwise, LG might have to settle for the Snapdragon 835 to rush release dates, which could mean that LG is planning to launch it ahead of its competitor Samsung, so the phone might arrive earlier than Samsung's flagship next year.

Whatever the case may be for LG and its G7 flagship phone, it will be confirmed once the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018 takes place in January, where LG and all the other big smartphone manufacturers will be present with their big reveals.