Apple’s latest iPhone model, the iPhone 16e, which will start shipping on February 28, 2025.
apple
and Release new iPhone 16etransportation started last Friday apple In its smartphone series, take a break from fingerprint technology. But separation can only be temporary.
To underscore the tech giant’s ongoing commitment to facial authentication technology, Apple’s new phones targeting more budget-conscious consumers will offer facial ID instead of fingerprint scanning technology, called Touch ID.
“It’s the easiest way to authenticate,” said Joe Palmer, chief innovation officer of Iproov. “If you turn on the phone a few times a day, even if you need a second and you have to unlock the phone 100 times a day, it will add up. He added, “I don’t think we’re going to see evolution beyond the face anytime soon.” ”
Still, technology and cybersecurity professionals say fingerprint scanning technology has a lot of life left — Apple itself may offer options in future device versions, including smartphones.
Here are the latest biometric trends in smartphones and what might happen next:
Why fingerprints can still make a comeback
According to experts at CNBC Consulting, Apple’s Touch ID continues to be available in certain iPad models, and the company will likely reintroduce the technology in its subsequent versions of smartphones. One sign they pointed out could be this: The company was awarded patent A few years ago, the playback fingerprint reading technology was insufficient and continued improvements. As a result, once the under-screen technology version is perfected, the company will likely bring the touch ID back to the smartphone.
Apple declined to comment.
Palmer said consumers like to choose from examples of colleagues who use facial authentication to unlock Android phones and fingerprint technology to authorize payments. He said once Apple introduces fingerprint technology under the screen, it may again be available using flagship phones and progressively in the model.
Why is Apple focusing on facial certification now
It makes sense for Apple to stay away from fingerprint technology in its smartphones. On the one hand, the company has always had a larger facial recognition culture, partly because of its stable technology and ease of use.
It is designed to automatically adapt to changes in the user’s appearance, such as wearing cosmetic makeup or facial hair. It is also designed to be used with hats, scarves, glasses, contact lenses and many sunglasses. The company designed the technology to work indoors, outdoors and even throughout the darkness. With iPhone 12 or later, Face ID can also use masks.
The shift away from touch ID on smartphones is also a way to attract customers who want more screen space on their devices, tech professionals say. In past phone versions, Apple’s touch ID fingerprint sensor has been integrated into the phone’s house or power button. And the iPhone 16e (similar to the iPhone 10) has a groove and a physical area on its display. This design element has been used in smartphones for several years to accommodate front-facing cameras and microphones while meeting consumer demand for larger edge screens. “For years, Apple has been slowly trying to remove the host button from the phone to get an edge-to-edge experience where the entire phone is a screen and no wasted space,” Palmer said.
Thumb technology is cost-effective
Jean Fang, senior consultant for senior verification at FIME and FIME, said fingerprint technology continues to be used on Android devices, and this is unlikely to change even if newer phones provide facial authentication.
According to Google’s website, Face Unlock is available on Pixel 4 and Pixel 7 or later (including the Pixel Fold). On the Pixel 8 and beyond, consumers can use Face Unlock to sign an app or verify their identity when they approve purchases. According to Samsung’s website, facial recognition can be used on a Galaxy phone or tablet to unlock the device and verify the user’s identity in certain applications.
Technical professionals say fingerprint technology is still a reliable option for many phone users, even as more devices use facial verification. On the one hand, fingerprint scanning is more cost-effective than other options like iris or palm scanning. “It’s a very good technology, very mature, and our fingerprint sensors are affordable everywhere,” said DJ Lee, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Brigham Young University.
“It needs it to work the way it works most of the time,” Grimes said.
Biometric security restrictions
To be sure, popular biometric choices have drawbacks. Fingerprint authentication does not always work properly, for example, a person’s fingers are wet or cut open, or for another reason, the sensor cannot detect an exact match. But facial authentication technology also has its shortcomings, especially with the advancement of Deepfake technology, he is also a member of the Secure Technology Alliance. She said it may also be limited to the effectiveness of facial certification, depending on the lighting and whether the person has undergone facial surgery, such as nose work or eyebrow lift.
“For some lower risk situations, this may be a good feature, but not all,” Fang said.
Despite the limitations of existing biometric modules, fingerprint and facial authentication technologies are expected to be biometric methods for the foreseeable future. This is not because of the lack of testing for other methods, but for more practical reasons. About 15 years ago, Grimes participated in a product test that tried to identify users by smell until the test subject had eaten a lot of garlic or drank alcohol. The test seemed good. “It turns out that a lot of people really like garlic, and it will overwhelm their scent, and you have a lot of people drinking a lot,” he said.
While users can be authenticated through other biometric methods such as iris or palm scans, Amazon Whole Foods’ store palm payment technology As a recent example – in many cases these costs may be higher and add more friction to the user, thus reducing the possibility of widespread adoption. “It’s a balance between safety, convenience and cost,” Lee said.
