Future HomePod Models Could Include Face ID Technology

[ersan191]

This rumor doesn’t make any sense...

 

[jmgregory1]

Because Apple is investing heavily in AR, and their 3D depth sensing camera also works great for user authentication across their array of products. Not that it's that important in a home environment, but I suspect FaceID is more secure and reliable over voice authentication.

"If you want to know what your balance is in your account, why not just pull your iPhone out of your pocket and check your bank's app?"

Sure, you can. I'd rather be able to ask a simple question. Choice is great. But again, the example I chose was just one application. There are tons more.

I still can't see Apple thinking that people are going to want to stand around a table-top speaker in order to make a FaceID authentication work. That's just not how a device like this will be used - not every device needs to have a screen attached to it. If you want, you can access the Home Pod through your iPhone, iPad, MacBook or iMac, where the screen is a critical element. It's not a matter of choice, but a clear understanding of a device's function and the common user experience.

HomePod a device for playing music first and foremost and it absolutely does not need to be all things wrapped into one (iPhone / iPad / Music player). The fact that Apple isn't promoting it as an Alexa-like IoT device tells me that they really just see it as a way to keep the Apple brand relevant for music consumption beyond headphones (Beats).

 

[jonnysods]

"my neck hurts from using my Homepod"

 

[5105973]

Could you share whatever it is that made you concerned about the safety? I’m not saying you’re wrong, just that I’ve never heard of any such concerns before.

First hand experience of my husband and I with Samsung’s implementation of IR scanning, as well as warnings in their support documentation that the technology could be harmful to the developing eyes of babies. There was also a safe minimum distance specified for its use which we adhered to but experienced problems anyway. My husband and I and a very tiny number of people on this forum and on Reddit reported experiencing significant and lingering eye pain using the iris scanner on the Samsung phones. Also there are a few stray references to questions (but no answers) on the safety of IR scanning technology in articles around the web. I don’t want to dwell on this on this thread and derail the conversation. It’s speculation on my part, just a personal concern and I don’t want to spread FUD. So far my husband has no complaints about the scanner on his iPhone X.

 

[citysnaps]

I still can't see Apple thinking that people are going to want to stand around a table-top speaker in order to make a FaceID authentication work. That's just not how a device like this will be used - not every device needs to have a screen attached to it. If you want, you can access the Home Pod through your iPhone, iPad, MacBook or iMac, where the screen is a critical element. It's not a matter of choice, but a clear understanding of a device's function and the common user experience.

HomePod a device for playing music first and foremost and it absolutely does not need to be all things wrapped into one (iPhone / iPad / Music player). The fact that Apple isn't promoting it as an Alexa-like IoT device tells me that they really just see it as a way to keep the Apple brand relevant for music consumption beyond headphones (Beats).

"I still can't see Apple thinking that people are going to want to stand around a table-top speaker in order to make a FaceID authentication work."

You're assuming FaceID development is static and this very first iteration and embodiment on the iPhone X will never be improved going forward. Rather than reflexively accepting that limitation, think about how FaceID can be improved to work with a device like HomePod, and at a distance. I have. And for sure Apple has as well.


"HomePod a device for playing music first and foremost and it absolutely does not need to be all things wrapped into one (iPhone / iPad / Music player)."

That's your vision and desire to keep HomePod's utility limited and static going forward. Thankfully, I suspect Apple's vision is far greater and is contemplating a much richer future for HomePod.

Try thinking outside the box just a little. There's far more potential than limiting HomePod to being just a "device for playing music." OTOH, if future HomePod enhancements are not that interesting to you, it's easy to just ignore those developments as they come about.

 

[Tech198]

Apple's already upgrading something before its even officially out ? haha... that's neat


FaceID seems useful if your cooking .

 

[TheFluffyDuck]

They would need it as Apples Siri assistant is so far behind the curve I doubt it could tell voices apart. Like most things Apple these days Siri is years behind everybody else.

 

[ryancgoodfellow]

It would just be the same as the xbox, but the Kinect was huge.

OK I’m genuinely curious and not trying to be grating. I used the Kinect on the Xbox 360. Did it improve drastically for facial recognition on the XBOne? Because I know even the Kinect on the 360 had a tough time with bodily extremities, let alone the minute details of my facial structure. If so, then why is MS basically abandoning their Kinect on the XBOne platform?

Don’t get me wrong, I can see that Apple could potentially build an array with enough points to throw across a massive room... but with apple’s obsession with compact devices, i have a more difficult time believing it. I totally think we could get there in a few years... but honestly... any company mapping out my living room with such detail? It makes me a little uncomfortable, even though i generally find myself on the “trusting” side of privacy arguments...

 

[TilenS]

Apple should develop VoiceID for HomePod. Multi-user support.

 

[AppleScruff1]

I wonder if it will have a Notch?

 

[Flytrap21]

Am I the only one who sees no use for Face ID on a home speaker...?

I live in a household with several people (spouse, teenage kids, etc.) and I would hate to have to tell the speaker to switch to my profile in each room whenever time I wanted to use it to add a calendar event, reminder, play music from my playlist, set an alarm, etc.

Current home voice assistants use voice recognition to identify who is talking... but, unless you are currently talking, the speaker has no way of know whether or not you are home and which room you are in. implicitly knowing this enables the speaker to know whose reminders to speak out, for example, without each person having to manually log-in (and out) to say "I am now home, in this room" so that the speaker can play your messages, reminders, music, alarms, etc. through the speaker nearest to you, and not when you not even in the house.

There are already home security cams that have facial recognition so that one can get an alert when the kids arrive at home (or an unrecognised person walks into the house). I do not see why linking that information to a voice assistant suite of knowledge could be any worse than doing them separately.

 

[barmann]

Useless to you, perhaps. Fortunately there are a lot of people who feel otherwise and applaud Apple for not staying stuck in the past.

Considering Apple has spent the past 10 or so years catching up to 80s SciFi movies, I dare say Apple is very much about the past .

Granted, they are not the only ones .
How low have our expectations become, when even the most poorly implented gimmicks like current voice or facial recognition are worth a discussion ?

It's just trickle-down tech from better funded venues, which won't get beyond entertainment value in affordable devices for decades .

Unlike MagSafe, that's up there ! Wait ...

 

[mi7chy]

Fake ID has trouble discerning family members so it wouldn't make sense for a family product. Instead, do what Google is doing and recognize family members by voice and since it works across the room.