Has Apple been working on facial recognition since the first iPhone?

The launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 has sparked off a new interest in facial recognition-based authentication systems on smartphones. The ability to unlock smartphones or authenticate purchases by simply looking at your smartphone has caught the fancy of nerds and general consumers alike. Therefore, the expectations of the feature to be present on the upcoming iPhone have intensified as an iPhone represents the pinnacle of the smartphone technology.

However, it seems that Apple has been interested in the tech for a long time. In fact, the beginning of that time can be traced back to the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. Yes, a report from Softpedia has mentioned Apple’s intention of putting facial recognition-based authentication systems on its smartphones. Certain filed patents dating back to the last decade and along with a report from Apple Insider in relation to the facial recognition feature have been uncovered. The feature is set to debut to the upcoming iPhone at the end of this year.

What’s fascinating about Apple’s version of the feature is that it wants to be hack-proof, unlike the Galaxy S8’s sensor. The sensor on the iPhone 8 is supposed to capture a 2D image with 3D depth data. To put it simply, the system will recognise the nose, spots on skin, depth and pattern of eye sockets as well as the shape of the skin. To do that, the patents describe that Apple’s system will include a light image sensor, an infrared sensor and a 3D capture system.

However, no information in this regard is concrete as the Cupertino giant generally remains quiet before the unveiling of a new product, particularly when it’s a new iPhone. The upcoming iPhone is expected to be unveiled in September, which is expected to debut this feature in Apple’s portfolio.