I am not a bit fan of Apple, and when I looked on the new IPhone X for the first time I thought its price tag is very expensive, especially when the Android technology is becoming stronger, friendlier and cheaper.
However, with its new iPhone, combined with the new iOS 11, Apple has done a breakthrough with regards to new emerging technologies, such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). When it comes to the latter one, Apple implemented its AI capabilities in their new facial recognition engine, which some say it will open doors to a new wave of use-cases and solutions..
From a first impression, it does sounds like a nice gimmick for the younger audience, that will help Apple to create a strong buzz to its new model. But under the veil of Marketing, Apple is thinking about something much bigger, which will probably lead to a fundamental infrastructure for a variety of new apps, services and authentication models. The main focus of Face ID technology is focusing on a higher level of security and privacy standards.
According to Apple, its new Face ID is the most secure and safest way to unlock its iPhone. The chances someone else is breaking into the iPhone was 1 to a million, 40 times less likely than its current fingerprint mechanism. In addition, all the face ID data is being stored on a special chip in the processor, it never leaves the device, its being processed, encrypted, protected and optimized by using a AI mechanism on the phone itself. With its “TrueDepth” camera system in the front, Face ID projects 30,000 invisible dots on the owner’s face through infrared technology and maps the facial structure. Once the set-up is complete, Face ID matches its existing facial map to identify the user with every log-in attempt. Through machine learning, Face ID’s accuracy will improve, the company said.
With that being said, face recognition technology has already been here for quite a while, as Samsung and Microsoft already developed it 3 years ago. There are two main differences :
1. Unlike other companies, which use 2-D authentication, Apple’s technology provide a 3-D authentication, which is much more secure and comprehensive.
2. Apple Face ID is being processed, encrypted, and optimized on the phone itself, while other companies are using their AI algorithms on the cloud server. This is important to understand, because if the server or any channel along the way is being hacked, the facial data could be channeled to an unknown source.
it’s conceivable that the next generation of smartphones will eventually include sensors for face, iris, and fingerprint recognition. The cost isn’t that high for the hardware, and perhaps you’d use them in different combinations for different transactions—the user might decide which they want to use, or for a big purchase on the phone a merchant might want you to use all three.
But some legal questions remain, since police could unlock an iPhone X by pointing the phone at a suspect’s face without consent. But police officers cannot compel people to unlock their iPhones with their face without a search warrant as its against the U.S constitution.More importantly, Apple allows users to temporarily disable Face ID by gripping down on buttons on both sides of iPhone X. Nevertheless, when it comes to consumer-based products, Apple will continue to lead and become the premium benchmark of the industry.
References
Perala, (2017), “Just How Revolutionary is Apple’s Face ID System?”,
Mafi, (2017), ”Apple’s iPhone X Hits Early Problems Due to Facial-Recognition Woes”, https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/apple-iphone-x-hits-early-problems-facial-recognition-woes
