Apple has applied and received a patent for unlocking a mobile device using facial recognition. In its patent application, Apple says using a mobile phone’s camera to capture an image of a user’s face, analyze it and unlock the device if the photo matches the owner’s face. The plan is to apply the technology to reduce time-consuming tasks of unlocking a device. The device unlocks when the phone is moved to a use position and the image matches one the user already set. It is also ensures no unauthorized user can access your device.
This feature is similar to one available on android devices called Smart Lock that allows the device to open when it recognizes the face of the user. Facial recognition is gaining widespread application with Facebook allowing users to tag others on photos uploaded. Alibaba is also planning to launch a payment system using facial recognition security.
The introduction of the same technology on the iPhones may face glitches like Siri faced with recognizing the accents of various users. HP introduced facial recognition technology on webcams of its computer that failed to recognize black people. We hope the same issues will not crop up with the iPhone devices.
