HomePod firmware’s latest discovery is giving Apple’s upcoming smartphone iPhone8 another new safety feature named facial recognition. This latest update on the firmware would allow users to unlock their phone in any angle even when the smartphone is lying flat on a table. Apple’s internal name for this new feature is “Pearl” and it is categorized as an accessibility option.
Bloomberg’s senior editor Mark Gurman said in a tweet that “Apple’s pitch come September will be that Face ID is quicker, more secure, and more accurate than Touch ID”. HomePod leaks also revealed that facial recognition can be applicable in Apple Pay for secure transactions.
According to Macrumors, Apple has added two new algorithms named "AXRestingPearlUnlock" and "com.apple.accessibility.resting.pearl.unlock" in their accessibility option to improve the facial recognition system for iPhone 8. HomePod Firmware claims that the latest update is the perfect replacement for Touch ID as it can capture more data points to make it more secure. It is also rumored that Apple would completely remove the Touch ID completely in iPhone 8.
Users don’t need to bring their phone in front of their face, Apple's facial identification software allows the smartphone to be unlocked even when it's at an odd angle. However, this new feature is still under the testing process and it will run on a modified version of iOS.
The story claims that Apple's facial detection software will also work with third-party apps called "APPS_USING_PEARL" to give an extra advantage in several banking applications. HomePod firmware also included another safety feature that is named as "PEARL_AUTOLOCK". This feature claims that once users register their face id then the sensor would not authenticate any other’s facial recognition. The device will be automatically locked if someone other than the user tries to unlock the device.
