Apple iPhone 8 to support facial recognition on rear, front cameras

Late last month, Cupertino technology giant Apple released early firmware for its HomePod smart speaker – which is scheduled to launch for sale by December this year. Through Apple’s public release of its HomePod firmware, it is known that the upcoming device is going to run a version of iOS 11.0.2. Following which, the developers began digging deep into the listing with hopes of obtaining additional details regarding the firm’s 10th-anniversary iPhone 8 device. The latest information provided by developer Guilherme Rambo, reveals a few key features that are expected to arrive in the upcoming Apple flagship device.

According to Rambo, the facial recognition feature set to arrive in the iPhone 8 will be extending support for Apple Pay payments. It has also been discovered that the feature will be able to work with multiple faces, and might be accessible by third-party apps – just like how Touch ID works. A line in the code references a payment authentication error with "Pearl," Apple's internal code name for face recognition in the iPhone 8, while a string that reads "numberOfAppsUsingPearl" suggests facial recognition functionality can be accessed by third-party apps, likely as a passcode replacement, a report by MacRumors read.

Firstly, this further iterates the already prevailing rumors that suggest that the iPhone 8 is going to come integrated with the facial recognition feature. There have been many reports that have claimed that the feature is going to faster, more secure than Touch ID itself. It will be able to unlock the device within milliseconds, and can capture more data points than a fingerprint scan as well.

Rambo further went on to talk about other additional features that he thinks might come along with the iPhone 8. He made references to multi biometrics, modern HDR, 1080p240 camera capture functionality for a "back" and a "front" (suggesting 240 fps video capture at 1080p, an upgrade from the current 720p limit), and mentions of "FrontPearl" and "BackPearl" camera support. In other words, facial recognition feature could possibly be present in both, rear and front cameras; and the same is applicable for multi-biometrics and modern HDR technologies as well.

Apple hasn’t made any official confirmations as of yet; therefore, it is important to understand that these predicted features are ambiguous by nature and cannot be completely relied upon.