Becoming the gold standard for anything usually takes time, real-world testing, user testimonial, and exhaustive use. So when Apple says that Face ID will be the next gold standard for facial authentication, it raises eyebrows. Yesterday we reported on a Bloomberg article that claimed that Apple may be cutting corners on its Face ID feature. It’s no secret that the iPhone X is having production issues and those issues have been narrowed down to the Face ID system. The assertion was that Apple gave the green light to reduce the accuracy of Face ID to ramp up production of the first batch of iPhone X’s.
As Wall Street analysts and fan blogs watched for signs that the company would stumble, Apple came up with a solution: It quietly told suppliers they could reduce the accuracy of the face-recognition technology to make it easier to manufacture, according to people familiar with the situation.
Since the Bloomberg story exploded and users reacted, Apple has responded to the assertion made by Bloomberg. Responding to news reports like this is highly unusual for Apple as they generally do not comment on such things, yet here it is.
Bloomberg’s claim that it reduced the accuracy spec for Face ID is completely false and we expect Face ID to be the new gold standard for facial authentication. The quality and accuracy of Face ID haven’t changed; it continues to be one in a million probability of a random person unlocking your iPhone with Face ID.
Now there is discussion surrounding what it is Apple actually did to get production moving faster. If they didn’t reduce the accuracy spec for Face ID then what did they do to enable its suppliers to increase production? We’ll all just have to wait until users actually get their hands on the device and report back as to Face ID’s accuracy in real-world use. For now, it’s a he said she said scenario with Apple and Bloomberg’s sources.
What do you think? Do you think Apple reduced accuracy specs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
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