Very reliable Apple leaker Kuo Ming-chi has released a new report, picked up by Mac Rumors, 9to5 Mac, today with more information on the next iPhone -- iPhone 8, 10th anniversary iPhone, or whatever it'll be called -- and according to the Taiwanese analyst, the next iPhone will have new form of security: facial recognition.
In his own words...
Judging by the bio-recognition patents that Apple has applied for, we believe it is leaning toward facial recognition technology rather than iris recognition. However, we note that the technical challenges of facial recognition include: (1) algorithms; (2) hardware design; and (3) the build-out of a database for verification and authentication, which could be time consuming. As such, before Apple can fully replace the fingerprint system with facial recognition, a combination of the two steps of bio-recognition could be a valid solution for enhancing transactions security.
But because the facial recognition won't be fully ready by the fall, according to Kuo, Apple will rely on a combination of face and fingerprint sensor for unlock, with the goal of eventually eliminating the need for the finger entirely.
Perhaps what's more exciting news (to me, at least), is that Kuo further confirms that the iPhone 8 will have a "zero bezel" design (as seen in the mockup image by iDropNews). which was the reason Apple is abandoning the capactivie fingerprint sensor tech Apple acquired when it purchased AuthenTec four years ago, instead going for an optical-type sensor that can be placed under the display.
Of course, both bezel-less design and facial recognition tech have made the iPhone 8 rumor mill before, but it's much more reliable coming from Kuo.
What's also been long rumored is that the top-tier iPhone will come with a flexible curved OLED display, and because Apple doesn't want the the screen to "deform," it's going heavy metal... here's more from Kuo:
We expect the new OLED iPhone will come with a flexible OLED panel. To avoid deforming the form factor of the flexible OLED panel from touch operation pressure, a metal structural part will be placed under the film sensor to provide more robust structural support.
