Apple Predicted to Replace Touch ID with Facial Recognition in iPhone 8: KGI

KGI Securities analyst, Ming-Chi Kuo, has released another research report detailing features he predicts may surface in Apple’s upcoming iPhone 8, reports MacRumors.

Kuo believes Apple’s tenth anniversary iPhone will employ a flexible OLED panel with reinforced structural integrity under a new film sensor (instead of the current FPCB sensor), to improve Touch ID with the new design. This means an optical Touch ID solution replacing the current capacitive-based implementation, allowing for a display surface that’s smooth throughout.

Also, adding fuel to the fire of facial recognition, Kuo says Apple is “leaning toward” the technology, based on bio-recognition patents the company has applied for, but challenges remain:

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.

The analyst believes Apple’s upcoming biometric identification systems for smartphones could bring forth a “paradigm shift”, if and when technological hurdles can be overcome.

The next iPhone is expected to launch in the latter half of 2017, and may include an edge-to-edge wraparound display, embedded Home button and more. Earlier rumours this week suggested facial/gesture recognition may emerge, along with wireless charging.