iPhone X Specs News: Apple Explains How the Face ID Works and Why It's Secure
Apple recently introduced the Face ID or facial recognition as the main security feature for the upcoming iPhone X. It is, undoubtedly, a first of its kind so Apple deemed that a comprehensive paper that explained how it works would be helpful and also to reassure future iPhone X users that it can recognize them despite some changes in their features.
The iPhone maker reiterated that the probability for another person to unlock a user's iPhone X is 1 in 1,000,000 – a huge difference from Touch ID's 1 in 50,000 chances. This figure was already mentioned during Apple's Sept. 12 unveiling event.
However, many are still uncertain how secure the Face ID feature is since it can unlock the device just by showing the owner's face to the smartphone's sensors. Added to that, Face ID may also be used on Apple Pay services.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
In Apple's Face ID guide, the company explained that an iPhone X owner cannot unlock the device just by simply facing the device. "When a face is detected, Face ID confirms attention and intent to unlock by detecting that your eyes are open and directed at your device," said Apple.
Once the iPhone X can confirm that there is an "attentive face," the device will automatically trigger the TrueDepth camera and that is when the "30,000 infrared dots" come into play. Its reading is combined with what the 2D infrared can detect and these images will "form a depth map of the face."
The images registered through the infrared sensors are processed to create a "device-specific random pattern" which will be processed by the A11 Bionic chip and is translated to a "mathematical representation."
Like in Touch ID, these data are stored in Apple's Secure Enclave – a part of the iPhone chip where these sensitive contents are independently stored and encrypted – which has been marketed as a more secure way of safekeeping data compared to commissioning remote cloud services.
One of the most common questions on Face ID's capacities is whether it can recognize the iPhone X's owner even when they grow a beard or have makeup on, and Apple is sure that it can.
"To avoid a user having to re-enroll to Face ID when these neural network changes are made, iPhone X will be able to automatically run stored enrollment images through the updated neural network. In addition to being encrypted and protected by the Secure Enclave, these enrollment images are cropped to your face, minimizing the amount of background information," Apple further explained.
The iPhone X can be pre-ordered starting Oct. 27, while its retail release is set for Nov. 3.
