Apple confirmed longstanding speculation last week with its unveiling of its three new iPhone models for 2018. Like last year’s iPhone X, all of the new devices have abandoned Apple’s pioneering Touch ID fingerprint authentication system in favor of Face ID, an infrared, 3D facial recognition system. Face ID is now the sole means of…
“Nothing succeeds like excess,” Oscar Wilde wrote, and it’s a lesson Apple has taken to heart. The company has unveiled its newest iPhones, and one of them is the biggest smartphone (some would say “phablet”) that Apple has ever produced. First things first, though: The standard new iPhone is the iPhone Xs. No one was…
“Overall, iPhone shipments are expected to reach 70-75 million units by the end of the year, forecasting a resurgence of popularity not seen since the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.” With this autumn’s anticipated new iPhone launches fast approaching, details about the products – and their market expectations – are getting…
A new Apple patent suggests the company is considering the idea of letting users put their passports into their virtual Apple wallets. As AppleInsider reports, the patent was filed on March 30th, and describes a system in which an electronic device could import credential data from an official piece of ID such as a passport…
Evidence that Apple is planning to bring Face ID to its new smartphones this year continues to mount, this time thanks to a quarterly update from VCSEL supplier Lumentum. As a provider of vertical cavity surface emitting laser technology, Lumentum is a key supplier for Apple’s flagship facial recognition system, which is designed to create…
“… one supplier involved in the VCSEL laser technology needed for Face ID, Win Semiconductors, posted revenues of about $149.47 million for Q2 of 2018, a 19.71 percent year-over-year increase.” A new industry report offers further evidence that Apple is planning to bring its 3D facial recognition system to all of its new iPhones and…
One of Apple’s key components suppliers is getting ready to open a new production facility. In a statement announcing its upcoming factory opening, Texas-based Finisar explained that the 3D Sensing Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser technology to be produced by the facility is “used in a wide range of applications.” But the highest-profile of these…
With its upcoming annual update to its Safari browser, Apple is aiming to markedly improve security through the integration of a built-in password manager that will be paired with biometric security when used on an iPhone or iPad, according to a Computerworld report. The functionality comes by way of a new API that will allow…
“The move comes soon after JCB enabled Google Pay in its home country, reflecting the company’s growing interest in novel payment technologies.” Japanese credit card company JCB is now supporting Apple Pay in Taiwan, the company has announced. JCB’s support in Taiwan comes in partnership with E.SUN Bank and Union Bank of Taiwan, with Taiwan…
Apple Pay has made it to Norway, launching in the country with the support of Nordea Bank, Santander Bank and Sbanken. The banks are allowing customers to upload their Mastercard, Visa, and debit cards to Apple’s biometrically secured mobile payments platform. Meanwhile, Danish merchant acquirer Clearhaus says it’s extending Apple Pay support across Norway-based online merchants.…
When Apple revealed its Face ID system for user authentication with its launch of the iPhone X last autumn, many wondered whether the mobile industry would shift away from fingerprint recognition and to facial recognition for user authentication. Several months later, it’s not clear that fingerprint recognition is going anywhere – that technology is still…
A newly revealed patent application from Apple suggests the company is exploring technology that would allow a device to track a user’s gaze, head position, hand gestures, face biometrics, and more. Newly published by the US Patent and Trademark Office, the patent was filed in Q4 of last year. It specifically concerns applications of its…
With the iOS 12 beta now rolling out, it’s becoming clear that Apple has reversed course on a previous policy restricting Face ID authentication to one user per device. As 9to5Mac reports, there is a new feature in the Face ID & Passcode Settings area of iOS 12 allowing users to “Set Up an Alternate…
“The patents also point to a certain level of technological expertise on Apple’s part that could still come into play in future devices.” Yet further evidence has emerged that Apple has been quietly exploring in-display fingerprint sensor technology for its iPhone devices. It comes by way of newly published filings with the US Patent and…
“…there’s now even more reason to speculate that Apple will seek to differentiate its high-end iPads with the integration of its expensive Face ID system.” Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is right around the corner, and speculation is mounting over what new gadgets could be revealed during the event. Most of the hype revolves around…
Apple is definitely sticking with Face ID for this year’s new flagship iPhones, and is even doubling down on it with improvements to the underlying software, suggest new rumors from Mac Otakara. Citing an anonymous source in Apple’s supply chain, the Japanese blog says that Apple is planning a 6.5″ OLED iPhone for this year.…
Further signs have emerged of Apple’s commitment to its Face ID facial recognition system with new reports that the company has signed up two additional components suppliers. The unnamed suppliers are both based in China, and are expected to supplement LG Innotek, which will remain the primary vendor of 3D sensing modules needed for the…
“In Canada, Service Credit Union customers can now upload their payment cards to the platform, while China Construction Bank has enabled the service for its Mastercard and Visa cardholders.” A bunch of banks and credit unions have been added to the roster of institutions supporting Apple’s biometrically secured mobile payments platform. Thirty-six of them are…
“The company makes vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, or VCSELs, a technology crucial to the Face ID infrared facial recognition system of Apple’s new iPhone X…” Apple is highlighting the social impact of its Finisar investment. Announced last week, the $390 million investment will see Finisar reopen a manufacturing plant in Sherman, Texas, that has been shuttered since…