As reported by Bloomberg, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:$AAPL) is starting to test facial recognition. This means that Apple might be saying goodbye to the iPhone’s fingerprint reader and hello to face-unlocking technology. If this were to happen, this would mark a major transition away from Touch ID, which has been a pillar in Apple phones since the launch of the 5S, back in late-2013.
Leading up to the iPhone 8’s release later this year, many have speculated as to whether Apple will be keeping the Touch ID/home button feature. Previous rumors have stated that Apple will be shifting to a behind-the-screen haptic version, which is similar to what Samsung introduced with the Galaxy S8.
Back in March, Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI analyst, predicted that “3D sensing for facial recognition” is among the suspected additions to the iPhone. This makes sense seeing as there have been numerous rumors suggesting that Apple is purchasing 3D cameras for devices as well as the fact that it picked up PrimeSense, a 3D sensor company, back in 2013.
That said, Apple’s initial interest in 3D sensing could just be that of the big AR push. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has been incredibly bullish on the technology, and at WWDC 2017, Apple went full throttle with its ARKit development platform.
It’s almost guaranteed that Apple is looking to do something drastic with its 10th anniversary phone, even more than the 7’s move from a mechanical to a haptic button. The most recent speculation is that Apple is moving towards an all-display design, and moving from fingerprint reader to facial recognition is a step in the right direction.
Keep in mind however that the face scanning technology is “still being tested and may not appear with the new device.” Despite the pieces of technology falling into place, Apple still needs to get the feature just right before it is made available to the public.
Featured Image: twitter
