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Face ID Deemed Too Costly To Copy, Android Makers Target In-Display Fingerprint Sensors Instead (9to5mac.com)

"Android phone makers are 'rushing' to implement fingerprint sensors under the display for upcoming handsets," reports 9to5Mac, citing a new report from Digitimes. "Android manufacturers have decided that recreating the 3D facial recognition used by iPhone X is simply too costly to include, and are instead focusing on implementing Qualcomm's ultrasonic fingerprint scanners." From the report: The report says that including an Infrared depth-sensing facial recognition system like the iPhone X is simply too expensive for Android smartphones to offer, which cannot command the same price premiums as Apple's iPhones. This is a combination of hardware and software development costs. Digitimes claims the cost of the TrueDepth 3D sensors in iPhone X peaked at $60 per unit, an incredibly high proportion of the overall phone cost if accurate. Android makers are also worried about possible patent infringement from adopting Infrared dot projector systems. Instead, they have turned to in-display fingerprint sensors as their next-generation of device authentication. This depends on using Qualcomm technology for ultrasonic-based fingerprint scanners, which can sit below the cover glass and work even if fingers are wet or greasy.

23 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. Better anyway by 110010001000 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    FaceID is a terrible idea anyway. Notches in the screen? Seriously?

    1. Re:Better anyway by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 5, Informative

      FaceID is a terrible idea anyway. Notches in the screen? Seriously?

      Amazingly, they are copying the notch , just not the faceID.

  2. Sauce by Tsolias · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Best source for your Android news is ofc.... 9to5Mac.
    Who the fuck upvotes those submissions?

    1. Re:Sauce by jellomizer · · Score: 2

      Actually Apple sites are tougher on Apple then many non-Apple sites.
      They like to see what competing systems are doing to see trends in the market, as Apple tends to be late to the game, but show up in style.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  3. This is a huge advantage for Apple by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apple is going to start bringing FaceID into tablets, laptops, etc.

    It's just a vastly better way to authenticate a person than a fingerprint, because it's passive. As others have said before, in practice it feels like you are using an unlocked phone, how it used to be... I look down and see I have notifications on my phone, before I can think about it the phone unlocks and I can see the notification text and press to open them if I like.

    It's also more secure and reliable than TouchID (which I still use with other devices so I have a daily direct comparison). Your fingers too dry or wet? No TouchID. And as you get older, your fingerprints get a lot harder to read - the government global entry readers can't even read my mom's fingerprints at all, and TouchID does not work for her as reliably as it does for me.

    Fingerprint ID systems are also way easier to spoof than FaceiD, especially behind the screen systems that can't measure some aspects of a finger being used that a direct sensor can. FaceID is about an order of magnitude more secure than fingerprints (even if you do hear the occasional story about a similar face unlocking a device, no-one tries as often with fingerprint sensors or they would find that can happen a lot more often).

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:This is a huge advantage for Apple by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't want passive authentication. I want active. And I don't want Apple or Google having access to biometric info that I can't change. I'll keep my long passcode, thanks very much. Not a big deal to tap it in it I need the phone.

  4. Those are optical & can be fooled with a pictu by Brannon · · Score: 4, Informative

    FaceID used infra-red depth-sensing, which makes it a lot more accurate and harder to fool.

  5. Re:It works really well, though. by 110010001000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Not in my experience. Whenever I use FaceID says I am too ugly to own an iPhone. So rude!

  6. Nope, not even close by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Informative

    Microsoft laptops already have FaceID type authentication

    Sigh. Face recognition from images is utterly not the same thing as FaceID which uses a 3D mapping of the face from a variety of sensors.

    Image Facial Recognition is about as secure as a TSA approved padlock.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Nope, not even close by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Image Facial Recognition is about as secure as a TSA approved padlock.

      Yes but there are varying degrees. It is actually quite hard to fool the one on Surface laptops due to taking 2 images in colour and in near IR. Producing a photograph or something to fool this kind of sensing is incredibly difficult requiring custom printer dyes and some very careful working adjusting of the image to produce a photo that passed both the visual and near IR detection.

      I did see a paper where some researchers did so, but then I've also seen one where they bypassed Face ID through the use of a carefully constructed model which comes back to: both systems can be defeated given enough time and effort.

      But point is: not all visual based systems are the same and there are many out there that are a fuckload better than those early Android based unlock systems which could be fooled by holding someone's drivers license up to the phone.

  7. Why? by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Informative

    I don't want passive authentication. I want active.

    Why? FaceID is active when needed (like for conformation of a purchase). But the rest to the time, it works instantly when it knows you are the one looking at the phone.

    And I don't want Apple or Google having access to biometric info that I can't change.

    Right there with you! Luckily FaceID data is only held on the device (in the Secure Enclave where it remains encrypted) and does not leave it. Apple does not get any biometric data from you.

    I'll keep my long passcode, thanks very much

    That is more secure than any biometric system, just a lot more annoying. It means you turn off other things like notification text blocking or have larger purchase unlock timeframes because you don't want to have to enter passcodes as often...

    And even then, I'm not sure passcodes are realistically more secure.

    I mean, realistically how much are you willing to suffer - either physically or legally - before you unlock your phone by whatever means you have? The realistic reason why you have a passcode is so that someone can't unlock your phone you leave on a table by accident, or lose in a cab. In that case FaceID works every bit as well as a long passcode, and is far more convenient the 99.999999999% of the time you have not left your phone in a cab.

    Fingerprint scanners are pretty good but with a 1 in 50k chance that someone else's fingerprint will unlock your phone is it more possible some random person might unlock it.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re: Why? by datavirtue · · Score: 2

      "Apple does not get any biometric data from you."

      We are literally slipping down the slope as we read this. Hardly an assurance.

      --
      I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
  8. Re:It works really well, though. by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 2

    I have been using both Apple and Android fingerprint scanners for years, and have found them quite reliable, regardless of conditions.

    What about when your hands are wet? For me the fingerprint never works then.

  9. What slope? It is a plateau. by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We are literally slipping down the slope as we read this. Hardly an assurance.

    What about years and years of past behavior? There has been no slope; when possible Apple has kept personal data either encrypted or local only.

    TouchID fingerprint data was also only ever held on device. You had to re-train for a new phone or tablet, even if you'd backed up the device locally.

    Apple doesn't need or crave your data the way Google does. They have no advertisers to feed info to about usage, you just buy your device and that's enough for Apple.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  10. Re:It works really well, though. by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2, Funny

    What about when your hands are wet? For me the fingerprint never works then.

    You're supposed to wipe your hands on your pants when you come out of the men's room. Don't handle your phone with wet hands. That's just nasty.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  11. Not the same, not in any way by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The implementation is different, but the end user result is the same.

    Incorrect: If you are in a very dark environment it will not work, or if you are wearing glasses when you were not, or lots of other things where FaceID can clearly see and tell it is you when an image recognition cannot... it's not just being able to prevent anyone with a picture of you from unlocking your device we are talking about.

    I know you are 100% sold on the Apple marketing

    I'm not *sold on Apple marketing*.

    The difference between you and me is I KNOW what is and is not marketing. You are just assuming something real is marketing; I use FaceID a hundred times a day or more, and still use TouchID nearly as much. So, I actually know what the hell I am talking about from a practical standpoint, not from any marketing.

    I have also done a fair amount of my own work with image/facial recognition so I know exactly how "secure" it is not, and also know the many, many ways it may fail.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  12. Re:It works really well, though. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    FaceID isn't really new.

    Except it is. FaceID doesn't use the camera like the HTC. It fact, it doesn't even need visible light to function. It projects dots on your face using infrared and an infrared camera (separate from the photo/video camera) reads the map of your face.

  13. It's not random by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Informative

    I would guess that GP wants to be the one to activate the authentication process, and for it to not happen automatically at any moment "randomly".

    It's not at all random. It's when you are looking at the screen.

    Even then for some actions (like payments) it still prompts for confirmation, so it's not always completely automatic - just when that makes sense, like unlocking the phone (unlocking does not go to the home screen).

    If you are in some app asking for a password the system can auto-fill, it does so - but does not submit it for you. Again, it's automatic in ways that are handy, but not ways that take some action you might not have wanted.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  14. article is wrong on something by Espectr0 · · Score: 2

    claims android phone makers cannot charge apple's premiums. Then why the pixel XL is more expensive that the iphone 8 plus? How about the Galaxy note 8?

    1. Re:article is wrong on something by thegarbz · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Then why the pixel XL is more expensive that the iphone 8 plus? How about the Galaxy note 8?

      None of the devices you listed including the iPhone 8+ have Face ID.
      All are significantly cheaper than the iPhone X which does have Face ID.

      The article itself is trollbait and probably wrong for other reasons, but logically at least this part makes perfect sense. Combine that with the fact that there's a huge worldwide shortage on VCSEL arrays I happily believe that Face ID isn't being implemented due to cost reasons.

  15. Re:What? by omnichad · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Look at a photo of iPhone 8. Where the notch would be, there is no screen at all. The notch is not because of Face ID. It's because Apple wanted the screen bigger.

  16. Tired of senseless copying by iampiti · · Score: 4, Insightful

    As an Android fan I'm tired of Android phone manufacturers copying everything the iPhone does (copying also happens the inverse way). It may be nice to copy good ideas but some manufacturers also insist in copying the bad ones. e.g.: Headphone jack removal and, worst of all, the notch.

  17. Re:"Apple does not get any biometric data from you by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

    How do you know? Just because Apple says that doesn't mean they can sneakly do it. Do we believe them?

    Because there's a good reason for Apple to not have it?

    As in, law enforcement?

    There are two ways to not give law enforcement something. One, is to simply not have it. The other, is to say it is not available to them for some reason.

    The former is easy to defend - if you don't keep logs, then really, you cannot produce them when asked to. Granted, you may be forced to keep records after the fact if you have access to the data (e.g., you may not log log IP addresses, but you can be forced to simply because that information is given to you). But if you're not given that information, you can't even log it. So Apple does not back up in iCloud stuff like your passwords and all that, either (because that's a nice juicy target for law enforcement). It doesn't pass through Apple's servers at all - so even if law enforcement started tapping every bit, it's your iOS device that simply excludes the password database when backing up. (You can back up your passwords, by doing local iTunes encrypted backup, where they're stored encrypted on your local PC).

    The alternative is to have to legally defend why you're not handing over the data, like what Microsoft did by saying the data is not inside the US. This is based on legal procedure, because the data exists, and you have it, but you're arguing there's a reason why you cannot hand it over. I find these arguments less "permanent" since there may be a case where not handing over the data might put you in the position of having to defend your position against public opinion. (Imagine trying to withhold a terrorist's account data just because he stored it outside of the country).

    Apple has long learned it's far better to simply not have the data touch its servers at all and thus be unavailable to law enforcement, than to hold onto it and to have to defend why you're not handing it over.

    It's also why Apple's privacy policies haven't really allowed them to share data within Apple. Google's privacy policy has expanded the data sharing to not just through Google, but to every Alphabet company as well. So your YouTube viewing data, once only for YouTube, can be mined by the most popular online ad networks as well.

    Finally, what can Apple do with that data? If they have it, what are they going to use it for? Apple barely has an advertising business (really meant to allow Google to buy AdMob). So what would Apple do with all that information they aren't selling?