Samsung's 2014 flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, is now said to come with a fingerprint scanner, not an iris scanner as previously speculated.

The Samsung Galaxy S5 has been the star of numerous reports recently, and the rumor mill is constantly churning in anticipation of the smartphone's launch later this year. Various rumors pointed to notable improvements for the next-generation flagship, including a boost in security through the use of both fingerprint- and eye-scanning technology.

According to a new report from the Korean media, however, Samsung will reportedly use only a fingerprint scanner for its Galaxy S5, as eye-scanning tech is not ready for deployment just yet.

"Among the different types of biometric sensors that Samsung is testing for its Galaxy S5, the tech giant will go for fingerprint authentication rather than unintuitive user experience of iris recognition," an unnamed source reportedly told the Korea Herald.

Just recently, Samsung's VP of mobile business Lee Young Hee told Bloomberg that the company was "considering the possibility" of packing an iris scanner onto the Galaxy S5. Mulling over the possibility, however, does not mean that it would actually happen.

Eye-scanning technology would reportedly require a separate camera with a "completely different design," which would increase costs and make the device bulkier. According to the Korea Herald, iris scanning technology is still one or two years away from deployment on a large, commercial scale. The publication further notes that biometric technology companies denied supplying such iris scanners to Samsung.

With eye-scanning tech apparently out of the question for now, Samsung will reportedly launch its next-generation Galaxy S5 with a fingerprint scanner. Apple has already launched its iPhone 5S with Touch ID, and HTC followed suit by launching its HTC One Max with a fingerprint reader as well. While the technology has raised some controversy, it seems to be catching on and Samsung is expected to join the party.

Samsung is reportedly working on packing the fingerprint scanner right into the device's display, but it remains uncertain for now whether the Galaxy S5 would boast this type of sensor incorporated in this manner. If it will not have a fingerprint scanner into the display, the Galaxy S5 may feature such a sensor on its rear case.

It's worth noting that the Korea Herald has a good track record when it comes to outing or predicting yet-to-be-announced devices, but that doesn't guarantee that this report is accurate. New flagships from heavyweight companies are always surrounded by lots of speculation, rumors, and leaks, and it is best to take everything with a grain of salt until an official announcement.