Report: Apple Reduces Accuracy of Face ID to Help Speed iPhone X Production
Posted on October 25, 2017
The Face ID technology on the upcoming Apple X smartphone will not be as accurate as it was when Apple unveiled the iPhone X it last month. A new report from Bloomberg says Apple has allowed manufacturers to reduce the accuracy of Face ID in order to speed up production. The iPhone X is expected to being shipping next month.
Apple has not yet commented on the report which raises questions about just how accurate the Face ID will be. Verge notes that Apple claims Apple's Face ID has an accuracy of 1,000,000:1, which is significantly greater than 50,000:1 for the Touch ID. Verge says Apple will still be able to claim the Face ID is more accurate than the Touch ID. What would not be good for consumers is if the Face ID is weakened to the point where hackers can find a work around.
There have already been reports that iPhone X shipments will be half of forecast due to news form Nikkei that Apple is struggling with component problems. When Apple announced the iPhone X it said that its Face ID security technology uses 30,000 IR dots to analyze the phone owner's face. The accuracy reduction could mean less dots are being used if Apple had to go with a component that was not its first choice in order to expedite manufacturing.
The iPhone X is set to be available for pre-order on Friday, October 27. Demand for the smartphone is expected to be strong despite the higher pricing. Apple says in a recent announcement that customers can trade in their eligible smartphone for up to $375 (US) in credit through Apple's iPhone Trade-up program. That will help a little bit. Pricing for the phone starts at $999.