At its recently concluded BUILD 2015 conference held in San Francisco, California, Microsoft confirmed previous rumors that Windows Phone handsets would feature an iris scanner. This was confirmed in a presentation made at BUILD 2015 by the company on Microsoft Windows Hello technology, which offers users access to improved security features like biometric authentication.

Earlier this year, Microsoft had introduced Windows Hello, its new biometric security system for Windows 10, to allow users to seamlessly, and securely log in to their PCs. At BUILD 2015, the software giant confirmed that Windows Hello would provide a more secure method to unlock a phone, tablet or laptop by supporting three types of biometric entry; fingerprint, face, and iris. Windows Hello will ensure that all devices are individually locked and will protect files and information from being hacked or stolen.

Windows Hello uses a new version of Windows Passport and will ask for a four digit PIN number for login instead of a password. The new security software running in the background will associate a user's Windows PIN to his or her device, which means that another person cannot unlock the device in case it becomes lost. The PIN will also not work on any other device that is not associated with the user's account, which will not allow data from being hacked using a separate device. Additionally, the PIN code is not stored on the user's device or separate servers, and hence, cannot be discovered even if a site or app locked by the PIN has been compromised.

Windows Hello can also be associated with fingerprint, face and iris recognition hardware to unlock a phone, tablet or laptop using biometric sensors. The user's face, fingerprint and iris information can be read by specific sensors to unlock the device. Users will also be able to pay for items using their face, fingerprint or a scan of their iris. Windows Hello PIN or biometric entry system will allow users to make purchases on the Windows Store and buy any app that requires payments or authentication. Microsoft's Windows Hello marks yet another step forward by technology companies to allow users to access their devices in a "passwordless authentication" world.