Apple is testing a feature that may be making its way to the iPhone that will be released later year: facial recognition, which could take over the current Touch ID feature we’ve all come to know so well.
Facial recognition will likely be used as an improved method of logging into your phone. According to Bloomberg Technology, Apple has been working on this new feature, which earned more data points in the tests they’ve been running than the fingerprint scan. This means it would be a more secure route to unlocking a phone. The 3-D sensors, which power the facial recognition technology, are intended to scan the face incredibly fast and with great accuracy.
The user will be able to unlock their phone within less than a few hundred milliseconds, and they wouldn’t even have to hold the phone up to their face. This will be a huge technological advancement from the the current biometric authentication method used by Samsung. Samsung implemented iris detection on its Galaxy S8, but users were able trick the phone by using pictures of other people’s irises.
There are several other updates coming to the new generation of the iPhone, including an all-screen design, glass on both sides of the phone and a stainless steel frame. Two hardware improvements will be the addition of an artificial intelligence chip and an OLED screen. The AI chip will help conserve battery life by taking over facial recognition tasks and autocorrect/typing suggestions. The OLED screen will present sharper and brightly colored images. When paired with the faster 10-nanometer processor, this iPhone could definitely be worth the wait.
Although a large part of the anticipated hardware update is still being worked on, Apple fans can expect a major change of hardware in the new iPhone. There are some difficulties the company has run into including adding the Touch ID scanner into the new screen design. Ultimately the new 3D sensors shows promise for better security and a display of great technological advancements for smartphones.
Source: Engadget, Bloomberg Technology