Apple's New Face ID Biometric System Works in the Dark and When Your Face is Obscured by Hats and Beards

[profets]

When I was talking about preferring Touch ID, I had convenience in mind. It is more convenient unless you try to use it when having dirty, sweaty, or just wet hands. The button you press to turn it on also instantly unlocked the phone and lands you on your home screen. With Face ID, not only is it slower but you have to make sure tap to wake if it isn’t already, make sure it’s unlocks with your face, then reach down to swipe up to get to the home screen.

I feel like everyone is jumping to conclusions though without giving Face ID a chance. I think if you start getting used to using a home button-less iPhone, and get into the routine of picking up the phone and it’s unlocked when you look at it, going back to pushing a home button will feel old and less convenient.

It really feels like Apple thinking about the future of iPhone with Face ID, more seamless authentication. And this is just v1.

 

[xmonkey]

Sounds like you dont get it, to me. I wasnt fast biometric auth, and if face auth is faster that's what I want.

I get it perfectly fine, but thanks for the condescension.

What exactly has Apple shown you to make you think FaceID in it's current state is faster than TouchID? Because that's not what I saw at all.

This is one case where having both options is the best solution, IMO.

 

[gnasher729]

I'll believe it when I see it. An incorrect scan once a week is enough of a convenience for me to never purchase.

Well, that's tough. Because if it is implemented like TouchID, it will from time to time ask you for the passcode, and not even try to recognise your face.

 

[Appleaker]

You know this how? Personally, I hate Touch ID. Depending on what work I'm doing my fingerprints rarely register because of either debris on my hands, or just my fingerprints bring altered. Face ID will work better for me. I know other people who feel the same way. I just want to know what methods you used to come to your arbitrary quantifier of "most"

Again, I am not suggesting Touch ID only, having both would be ideal since they both have their advantages and disadvantages. I had similar issues with reliability with 1st gen Touch ID, but 2nd gen was fine and much faster.

I have less issue with the technology then I do with the interface and ease of use. When referring to Touch ID, I am thinking about the system as a whole. The button you press to turn it on also instantly unlocked the phone and lands you on your home screen. With Face ID, not only is it slower but you have to make sure tap to wake if it isn’t already, make sure it’s unlocks with your face, then reach down to swipe up to be taken to the home screen.

I know this because I am from the future, ‘most’ is from looking at the feedback data and satisfaction rates to see user views on it, not to mention the number of reviews that say they Touch ID would work better for a lot of scenarios.

 

[Larry The L]

I doubt this is a big issue, but in some of the demo videos after the show, they showed someone pointing the phone at the face of the owner and unlocking the phone. I guess a thief could steal your phone, point it at your face for a fraction of a second and take off with your unlocked phone.

Thieves are very resourceful. But I'd rather he do that then cut off my finger to get my fingerprint. Now, if the thief stabs you in the heart and kills you, he could prop open your eyes with little toothpicks and then scan your dead face.

Or perhaps, you are just being a little to paranoid. Anything in the world could happen. What if you have your phone in your shirt pocket and you get into a head on collision. And the phone is knocked out of your pocket onto your face. And it unlocks. And a first responder takes your unlocked phone and quickly reprograms your face id? Now this is what you should really be worrying about. Most of what is posted in these threads can make me laugh all day.

 

[MR.Raul]

No I dont. For example: Sometimes I do that standing (at a concert for example) to peek for notifications. Pretty sure that from a lower hip-to-face angle it wont work as a Face ID scan.

You'll prolly be able to do that with face ID as well.

Only thing I don't get is the lock screen, it's better to touch the phone and look at it and it should take you directly to the home screen without the swipe.

 

[Avieshek]

It continually updates the face map so it always recognizes you.

Imagine someone seeing a picture of you with and without a beard. Big difference. But if you take a picture each day or even many times a day as that beard grows, the change is far less drastic and the difference isn't much.

There are a LOT of people crying about this feature without ever using it. People cried about Touch ID too because they had the chance to use it. I recommend trying it before you whine about it.

Okay.. what if, after I shave? It will be like seeing a picture of me, with and without a beard. The question genuinely stays.

 

[Appleaker]

Please tell me the lotto numbers.

Sorry you’ll have to pay for that.

 

[natepaschall]

The fact that Apple was originally testing TouchID under the screen and moved away from it when it couldn't get it to work, not to mention leaving 4 generations of phones with TouchID in place, in my opinion, means Apple is going to work toward implementing TouchID under the screen, in addition to FaceID.

If you have multi-factor biometric authentication it will improve speed of access into the phone. I'm sure Apple does not like their phones denying entry when properly using biometrics. Even more to the point, Apple would probably like to include, Touch, Face, and Iris scanning to the phone, with all 3 entry options available to their users on a single phone.

Additionally, it's not just about user-experience. Apple is garnering hoards of data on biometrics using these features. Don't kid yourself that Apple doesn't care about ongoing harvesting your biometric data.

 

[cppguy]

If it doesn't work outdoors due to self-darkening glasses, it's useless.

 

[Juicy Box]

How about sunglasses?

I brought that up on another thread and told that it will still unlock even if wearing sunglasses. I guess some computers already have IR facial recognition, and the computer unlocks even when wearing sunglasses.

If it works with sunglasses, I'm completely on board with Face ID. The only times I look at my phone without pointing it at my face is when I'm checking for the time or notifications, which I can do without unlocking it. I hope they make some cool features in the future, like maybe wink to get to the home screen without swiping up XD

Check this out:

One caveat -- Apple doesn't mention sunglasses. There's a chance that Face ID doesn't work when wearing sunglasses because it obscures your eyes, and eye contact is required for unlocking the device

It’s not a step backwards. What if your hands are dirty ? Touch ID fails. Face ID is better. Smarter and so much more. It learns your face. Didn’t you read the article ??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Uh

Assuming it doesn't work with sunglasses, or has lesser security with sunglasses, this would probably be more of a negative impact than dirty hands.

I am not sure for everyone else, but I tend to use my phone more often with sunglasses on, than with dirty hands.

 

[thisisnotmyname]

Some of this just sounds like a sales pitch and doe snot make sense.

So if you have a family member, a twin perhaps then they admit it could be fooled.
but a "Hyper realistic mask" that's copied from YOUR face, nope it won't be fooled by that.

So it's super super critical.
But hey, you can wear hats and sunglasses, perhaps a beard, and that will be fine.

Sorry, I want to see this tested by REAL people.

It can't be sooooo "million to one" secure it's only you and you alone.
And yet be so easy going you can have t all all angles, wear all sort of stuff,makeup etc, and it's fine about that.

Does not add up.

Fingerprint sensors don't match your *entire* fingerprint either, they have a subset of data and match it. I'd expect with 10k plus points of reference they can map the 3D structure of your face pretty well even if pieces are covered by hair/glasses/hat/whatever. As to masks, with the inclusion of infrared spectrum in the imaging they'd be able to determine that the mask was room temperature and completely uniform in temp and reject it. With near-infrared imaging it's even possible to detect artery and vein structures beneath the skin, I'm not sure if their hardware/software would be accurate enough to include the structure of sub-cutaneous elements in identification but they could certainly use it to reject masks.

I'd still like both Touch ID and Face ID in the device though.

 

[aylk]

No it didn't. Stop spreading lies and FUD.

You make a lot of assumptions when coming to the conclusion that it 'failed'. You make the assumption that it failed twice on Craig lifting it up. What about the possibility that an engineer or phone handler on the stage caused it to fail before that? That's VERY likely.

Ok, let's try some critical thinking here after looking at the facts.

Face ID allows two failed attempts before requiring password authentication. https://developer.apple.com/documen...licy/1622327-deviceownerauthenticationwithbio

Video of the event:

First try at 3:26, second try with lock screen at 3:29. Then he picks up a back-up phone, wipe his face, and try a third time, this time successfully.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Piggie]

Why in the world would you need multiple faces? You have multiple fingerprints because you may open your phone with a different finger. But they are all yours. Do you have multiple faces?

Do you and your partner keep secrets from each other?
Why would you not wish both you and your partner to be able to easily access each others phones?

 

[Larry The L]

Do Apple's "mask tests" weird anyone else out? If someone is wearing a mask of my face, I think I won't be so concerned about my phone. I'm just going to be praying it's not a skin mask.

I'm concerned that your face scanned data will be stolen by some hacker, who will then make a mask of your face and use it to do all sorts of nefarious things that will get blamed on you. Or perhaps the apple mask thing isn't something to worry about.

 

[filmantopia]

Not sure if has been addressed yet in this thread but as someone with an eye affliction that causes intermittent and involuntary eye movements, how would this affect the accuracy of Face ID? Not that I'm in the market for a new phone yet, having just gotten one after the iPhone 7 refresh.

You can turn off attention awareness.

 

[Merkyworks]

To bad the launch isn't in October cause Face ID and Halloween would be great

 

[Appleaker]

I feel like everyone is jumping to conclusions though without giving Face ID a chance. I think if you start getting used to using a home button-less iPhone, and get into the routine of picking up the phone and it’s unlocked when you look at it, going back to pushing a home button will feel old and less convenient.

It really feels like Apple thinking about the future of iPhone with Face ID, more seamless authentication. And this is just v1.

Face ID has the capability to be more seamless but currently isn’t and isn’t for everyone. And pushing a button doesn’t have to happen, Apple seems to have forgotten about 3D Touch on the phone without a home button. If ‘press to wake’ was implemented, I’m sure they could remove the swiping up after unlocking since the unlocking wouldn’t be unintentional. And with something like embedded Touch ID, you would just press the screen or just touch it if Apple forgets about 3D Touch again. Much of the issues with Face ID are with the system around it, but it could be easy to get used to as you say, it just might not be as fast.

 

[gnasher729]

This seems less secure in the context of a police search than TouchID. Forcing me to touch the phone with my finger is a lot more of an active process than having me cuffed to a chair and pointing my phone at me. Boom- unlocked without touching me or my consent.

If you are in a country where the police can cuff you to a chair, then you have other things to worry about.

 

[cult hero]

Watching the peanut gallery go crazy before there is any real-world testing is pretty funny.

This is definitely not tech I would want to use for the first generation, which makes the 8 really appealing actually. However, there's no way this can improve to where it needs to be without a throng of early adopters.

 

[jigzaw]

I'll believe it when I see it. An incorrect scan once a week is enough of a convenience for me to never purchase.

Be honest. How many incorrect Touch ID scans do you get? I get at least a couple per day.

 

[1Zach1]

Why in the world would you need multiple faces? You have multiple fingerprints because you may open your phone with a different finger. But they are all yours. Do you have multiple faces?

So my wife can open and use my phone without using the passcode. It's not big deal (she can use the code) but it would be nice to have.

 

[roland.g]

How about just regular prescription glasses, with or without them on?

Sunglasses might not block IR, but that doesn't mean they won't refract it or still make the FACE ID work.

Then there is the fact that you can no longer safely use an iPhone in a car means this is just impractical. I mean what is the MAPS program for now? Turn by turn instructions. Oops, can't unlock the phone.
If it's the future of all iPhones, the iPhone 8 will be the last iPhone I ever buy.

I get your arguments. Just remember that absolute statements usually leave you eating your words eventually.

 

[gnasher729]

The only thing I'm not comfortable with is having this very advanced camera stare at me all day.

Apart from the fact that the thing isn't staring at you all the time (would eat up the battery in two minutes), what exactly are your privacy concerns? If I bought an iPhone X, everyone would expect to see gazillions of photos of me staring at my phone.

 

[SgtPepper12]

I'm only able to push the button once the device is facing my face, not sooner, cause of the way it's in my pocket.

Most of the people I know who use an iPhone do that all the time. They press the button once they have the iPhone in their hands and usually the phone is unlocked before they see the display. I always thought this is incredibly convenient and to me makes Touch ID superior convenience-wise.