Apple HomePod firmware reveals 'iPhone 8' bezel-less design, facial recognition

Posted:
in iPhone edited July 2017
Sometimes the best source of Apple leaks is Apple itself, as revealed by the company's HomePod firmware, which apparently includes a rough sketch of the front face of the "iPhone 8," as well as references to its anticipated facial recognition unlock feature.


Screenshot via developer Steven Troughton-Smith.


The details hidden within the software for Apple's upcoming Siri-enabled speaker were published by developer Steven Troughton-Smith on Sunday. It reveals that the upcoming flagship "iPhone 8" will include infrared technology to recognize a user's face in a wide range of conditions and securely unlock the phone, as has long been rumored.

But the latest leak goes well beyond supply chain rumors: Apple's own HomePod firmware refers to a feature codenamed "Pearl ID," which includes "FaceDetect" references. Various errors found in the code include a face that is too close or too far from the camera, and conditions for timeouts, multiple faces, and much more.

In addition, a rough outline of the new iPhone form factor was also discovered in the HomePod firmware. It shows a largely bezel-less handset lacking a home button, with an indentation in the display at the top for the earpiece and camera array.



Image credit: Nodus and Gordon Kelly


The outline shown in the leak is consistent with previous leaks that are expected to show the design of the forthcoming handset.

The firmware indicates that the bezel-less "iPhone 8" is identified as "D22."

In addition, developer Guilherme Rambo also discovered a reference to an "iPhone9,9" model, which could be the anticipated "iPhone 7s." In all, Apple is expected to introduce three new iPhones this fall: A flagship "iPhone 8" with an edge-to-edge OLED display, and an "iPhone 7s" and "iPhone 7s Plus" that will feature largely the same design as the current iPhone 7 series.

All three handsets are expected to be unveiled by Apple at a media presentation in September, which is the company's usual timeframe for introducing new handsets. However, the "iPhone 8" is rumored to cost more than $1,000 and could be limited in supply, due to a number of advanced technologies expected to be included in the device, which has led to some commentators referring to the device as an "iPhone Pro."




Given its expected limited availability and premium pricing, observers believe the "iPhone 7s" may prove to be the most popular model with most consumers. That device is rumored to feature a faster processor, improved waterproofing, and inductive wireless charging.

As for the "iPhone 8," market watchers expect it may launch later than usual, in October or November. Beyond an edge-to-edge OLED display and new facial recognition technology, it is also expected to feature a vertical dual lens camera arrangement, and is rumored to bring about the end of the physical home button.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    fallenjtfallenjt Posts: 4,053member
    Very nice. Now, give it a Touch ID under glass instad of the back and call the day. Let bury other Android alive since none could do Touch ID beneath the glass!
    jbdragonwatto_cobraAvieshekjahblade
  • Reply 2 of 38
    bluefire1bluefire1 Posts: 1,301member
    The last big iPhone event was the larger screen iPhone 6, but this 10th anniversary iPhone will be the second biggest game changer after the original 2007 model.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 38
    iqatedoiqatedo Posts: 1,822member
    I wonder how many of Apple's engineers are members of SPIE (http://spie.org)? Unambiguous object and feature detection and recognition has been a popular topic over many decades and often reported in the pages of their journal. Looking forward to Apple's entry into real-life implementation.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 38


    It reveals that the upcoming flagship iPhone 8" will include infrared technology to recognize a user's face in a wide range of conditions and securely unlock the phone, as has long been rumored.


    Wow! A new one!! iPhone with an 8 inch screen!!


    fotoformatwatto_cobraAvieshekjahblade[Deleted User]
  • Reply 5 of 38
    Maybe Apple will surprise us and call it the D22.  ;)
    doozydozenwatto_cobraAvieshek
  • Reply 6 of 38
    doozydozendoozydozen Posts: 539member
    Maybe Apple will surprise us and call it the D22.  ;)
    They certainly won't be calling it "iPhone 8"
    watto_cobralolliverAvieshekstanthemanStrangeDays[Deleted User]
  • Reply 7 of 38
    robjnrobjn Posts: 280member
    Does anyone think "PearlID" is the actual name of the feature?

    It's found all through the code, along with the familiar "TouchID".
    leehericks
  • Reply 8 of 38
    EyeD was too cheesy huh?
    anantksundaramAvieshekMetriacanthosaurusjahbladejony0doozydozen
  • Reply 9 of 38
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    So is the blue border bezel or the frame? If it’s bezel than it’s not really a bezel-free display, it’s just a display with reduced bezels around all sides.
  • Reply 10 of 38
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    How is this breaking news when it broke yesterday?  Appleinsider late to the party. 
    The original tweet was at 11:00pm and this story was posted at 12:28am.  Trying a little hard to putt AI out there with your 2nd post aren't you ?  
  • Reply 11 of 38
    jd_in_sbjd_in_sb Posts: 1,600member
    Resume: Unemployed and talented engineer available for work. Worked on Apple HomePod project until July 2017. 
    Rayz2016StrangeDaysEric_WVGG
  • Reply 12 of 38
    tipootipoo Posts: 1,141member
    Not a huge fan of rounded screen corners, but I suppose when bezels are so minimized they become an eventuality. 


    As long as the UI doesn't try to uglily mimic them.
    edited July 2017
  • Reply 13 of 38
    jay3000jay3000 Posts: 21member
    robjn said:
    Does anyone think "PearlID" is the actual name of the feature?

    It's found all through the code, along with the familiar "TouchID".
    So do you think it will have both? Touch ID under the screen and the Facial recognition?
  • Reply 14 of 38
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,334member
    Re: "In addition, a rough outline of the new iPhone form factor was also discovered in the HomePod firmware. It shows a largely bezel-less handset lacking a home button, with an indentation in the display at the top for the earpiece and camera array."

    How does one arrive at the level of specificity in the second diagram based on a what is the equivalent of a stick-figure 
    drawing in the first diagram? Yeah, until folding or roll-up devices arrive there's only so many things that can be done with a rectangular slab with rounded corners. But I also know from having done it that software/firmware developers often create their own generic placeholder images that are either for internal-only consumption or stand-ins for ones that will supplied later by professional artists or UI designers. This is after all firmware for a smart speaker device that has no built-in UI (that we know of). Speculation is fun, but it's still speculation, until the curtain is rolled back in September by Apple execs.
  • Reply 15 of 38
    fallenjt said:
    Very nice. Now, give it a Touch ID under glass instad of the back and call the day. Let bury other Android alive since none could do Touch ID beneath the glass!
    Not happening. Touch ID is being replaced by Face ID. No need for both. 
  • Reply 16 of 38

    jay3000 said:
    robjn said:
    Does anyone think "PearlID" is the actual name of the feature?

    It's found all through the code, along with the familiar "TouchID".
    So do you think it will have both? Touch ID under the screen and the Facial recognition?
    Shared code bases. It will have plenty of Touch ID code even though it doesn't support that version of biometric authentication.
  • Reply 17 of 38
    So is the blue border bezel or the frame? If it’s bezel than it’s not really a bezel-free display, it’s just a display with reduced bezels around all sides.
    It is graphic representation. Have you never, in all your years of trolling the hell out of Apple, not seen Apple's iconography representations of iOS devices? They are not to scale. They are vector graphics meant to be scaled up or down. They have exaggerated features so that it doesn't become unrecognizable at small size (which is usually where these appear).
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 18 of 38
    78Bandit78Bandit Posts: 238member
    "Given its expected limited availability and premium pricing, observers believe the "iPhone 7s" may prove to be the most popular model with most consumers."

    Apple had better hope this isn't the case.  iPhone sales have stagnated since the release of the iPhone 6 and the 7s looks like another warmed-over rehash of that design with inductive charging as the main new feature.  Tim Cook has blamed the anticipation of the new design of the iPhone 8 as having a direct cause on the drop in quarterly sales of the iPhone.  The iPhone 7s isn't going to satiate the demands of the customers who are looking for a fresh design, and if the iPhone 8 is priced so high as to make it so undesirable that a four-year-old design is more popular I think that will reflect poor sales of the 8 as opposed to great sales of the 7s.  You simply aren't going to have a lot of people who say "I really wanted the new design, but I'll settle for a rehash of what I've already got."  I certainly don't see a big exodus to the Galaxy S8, but I do see quite a few users who already have a 6 or 6s skipping the upgrade cycle this time around with the expectations the 8s next year will be more competitive as Apple deprecates the LCD models.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 19 of 38
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,462member
    Having infrared is an interesting combination. So now the iPhone 8 will have 3D image and a heat map of the face, meaning you cannot fake a login using a simple photo. You'll need the actual person with flowing blood and face depth, along with the actual image of course. Very impressive. However, the NSA's power over corporations (such as gag orders) is concerning with such intrusive technologies.
  • Reply 20 of 38
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    So is the blue border bezel or the frame? If it’s bezel than it’s not really a bezel-free display, it’s just a display with reduced bezels around all sides.
    It is graphic representation. Have you never, in all your years of trolling the hell out of Apple, not seen Apple's iconography representations of iOS devices? They are not to scale. They are vector graphics meant to be scaled up or down. They have exaggerated features so that it doesn't become unrecognizable at small size (which is usually where these appear).
    What! Why next you'll be telling us it isn't actually blue...   ;-)
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