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Apple Exec Says Android-Based Face ID Rivals ‘All Stink’

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
December 11, 2017, 4:25 PM ET

Apple’s Face ID technology that scans the faces of iPhone X users to determine whether to unlock the device is superior to similar technology in rival phones.

At least that’s according to Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller. In a recent interview with Dutch website Bright, he argued that face-scanning for unlocking rival smartphones or accessing protected data like credit cards and passwords “all stink.”

In contrast, Apple’s Face ID is “unique” because it, well, doesn’t stink, Schiller said, according to tech site BGR.

Apple unveiled Face ID in September at the same time it introduced the iPhone X. The company’s pitch is that Face ID’s can be duped just once in one million tries, making the technology highly effective.

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While it’s difficult to say whether all face-scanners “stink” aside from Face ID, Apple’s technology uses 3D scanning, which means it can analyze the contours and depth of a person’s face before determining whether to give him or her access to the iPhone. Competing facial scanners in devices like Samsung’s Galaxy S8 or Galaxy Note 8 only capture faces in 2D, making them far less reliable and easier to dupe.

Some hackers have shown how a photograph of a person can fool the face scanners into unlocking the smartphones. Still, Apple’s self-described advantage may not last long.

Last week, Qualcomm unveiled the new Snapdragon 845 processor for next year’s highest-end Android smartphones. The processor is compatible with 3-D facial scanning and analyzing more points on a person’s face than Face ID, raising the possibility that it’s more accurate than Apple’s sensor.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
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