There has been no shortage of iPhone 8 leaks and rumors this summer. My favorite leak that I still can’t believe happened is the HomePod firmware leak that revealed a number of previously unannounced iPhone 8 features. Best of all, the HomePod leak was straight from Apple. They supplied the code, all the users had to do was a bit of digging.
One of those leaked features from the HomePod firmware was the iPhone 8 face recognition feature. The apparent name for this new feature is “PearlID.” Face recognition has been used by several manufacturers before. However, according to a new report from the Korea Herald, the iPhone 8 face recognition feature is going to incredibly fast. Insanely speedy. Blazingly quick! However you want to say it, this feature is meant to be fast and convenient.
According to the Korea Herald, the iPhone 8 face recognition feature is going to work in a matter of “millionths of seconds.” That’s about the same amount of time it takes me to forget something important my wife tells me (her words, not mine). Of course, testing an unreleased device is much different than working that quickly out in the real world. Still, those are promising results.
The new iPhone 8 face recognition feature will use an infrared camera to scan important points on a user’s face. Then, the device will be able to use that image to unlock the device in just a fraction of a second. It makes you wonder what will happen to TouchID if the new PearlID works as well as this report suggests. If users are able to unlock their device with their face so quickly, it makes TouchID seem kind of unnecessary – especially since the home button is dead and gone.
In addition to unlocking their device, users should also be able to authorize Apple Pay purchases and access secure apps on their device. Also, the iPhone 8 will be able to recognize its owner’s face even if the device is sitting flat on a desk in front of them. Kind of creepy, kind of awesome. Take your pick.
Of course, iPhone 8 face recognition is just one of many features expected to be revealed this fall. The iPhone 8 is also rumored to be launching with wireless charging built in. However, this feature may not be enabled until a later version of iOS 11 due to production shortage of the Apple wireless charging docks. Clearly, Apple doesn’t want you to go out and buy a third party solution to charge your device wirelessly. They want you to buy their Apple-branded products and, therefore, the feature won’t be enabled until you can go to the store and pick up one of those chargers.
The brand new design for the iPhone 8 should also turn a lot of heads. The home button is gone and the front of the device is a beautiful, nearly bezel-less display. The display is also a new OLED display that Apple has chosen specifically for the launch of their iPhone 8. You may recall that, until now, Apple has always used LCD displays. The difference should be very noticeable for those with a keen eye for detail.
The best features coming to the iPhone 8, however, are going to be software features. iOS 11 will likely be released to the public around the same time as the iPhone 8. From Control Center customization to improved Apple Maps, there are a wide range of iOS 11 changes coming to make the iPhone 8 even greater than the sum of its hardware components. Check out our favorite iOS 11 features while you surf the web today.
iPhone 8 face recognition is just the tip of the iceberg. This is the 10 year anniversary of iPhone and you can expect Apple to make a very big splash this year. In a way, they already have. The new design is a huge pivot for Apple and shows that the company can design a device that’s both beautiful and functional. Now, the only question is if you want to pay the price of admission. The iPhone 8 is rumored to cost $1100 or even more. That’s a good chunk of change but if you’re excited for iPhone 8 face recognition as well as all of the other new features then maybe $1100 doesn’t seem so bad. What do you think? Too much money for the features we know about or does that seem like a good price for the iPhone 8? Let us know!
