Apple denies it reduced accuracy of Face ID to aid iPhone X production
In a statement, Apple has directly refuted claims that Face ID has been compromised by changes in how it certifies parts for the Face ID system.
The statement, issued to AppleInsider and other media venues on Wednesday morning takes Bloomberg to task for reporting suggesting that Face ID sensor sourcing has resulted in a less accurate product.
The statement in its entirety says:
A report on Wednesday morning made the claim that Apple had lowered testing standards for the Face ID sensor system to improve yields. AppleInsider noted the report, and also made the observation that Face ID was likely not reduced in accuracy because of any rumored shift.
The iPhone X is "an aggressive design," according to sources familiar with the matter cited in Bloomberg's earlier report, with a "very aggressive schedule." As part of the component supply problems, according to more unnamed sources, Foxconn reportedly pulled as many as 200 workers off an iPhone X production line.
Apple's iPhone X features a 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display, the A11 Bionic processor, and the apparently hard-to-produce 3D-sensing TrueDepth camera at the core of the Face ID technology. The device ships Nov. 3, and starts at $999 without any promotions.
The TrueDepth camera system maps the geometry of the user's face using "advanced technologies," which consists of an infrared camera, a 7-megapixel camera sensor, a flood illuminator, and a dot projector. Confirming the attention of the user by detecting the direction of their gaze, Face ID then uses neural networks to match and prevent spoofing attempts to unlock the phone, with the system automatically adapting to changes in the user's appearance over time.
The statement, issued to AppleInsider and other media venues on Wednesday morning takes Bloomberg to task for reporting suggesting that Face ID sensor sourcing has resulted in a less accurate product.
The statement in its entirety says:
The statement does not refute that testing changes have been made -- only that any changes possibly made do not impact the accuracy of the system -- already significantly less prone to erroneous identification than Touch ID.Customer excitement for iPhone X and Face ID has been incredible, and we can't wait for customers to get their hands on it starting Friday, November 3. Face ID is a powerful and secure authentication system that's incredibly easy and intuitive to use. The quality and accuracy of Face ID haven't changed. It continues to be 1 in a million probability of a random person unlocking your iPhone with Face ID.
Bloomberg's claim that Apple has reduced the accuracy spec for Face ID is completely false and we expect Face ID to be the new gold standard for facial authentication.
A report on Wednesday morning made the claim that Apple had lowered testing standards for the Face ID sensor system to improve yields. AppleInsider noted the report, and also made the observation that Face ID was likely not reduced in accuracy because of any rumored shift.
The iPhone X is "an aggressive design," according to sources familiar with the matter cited in Bloomberg's earlier report, with a "very aggressive schedule." As part of the component supply problems, according to more unnamed sources, Foxconn reportedly pulled as many as 200 workers off an iPhone X production line.
Apple's iPhone X features a 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display, the A11 Bionic processor, and the apparently hard-to-produce 3D-sensing TrueDepth camera at the core of the Face ID technology. The device ships Nov. 3, and starts at $999 without any promotions.
The TrueDepth camera system maps the geometry of the user's face using "advanced technologies," which consists of an infrared camera, a 7-megapixel camera sensor, a flood illuminator, and a dot projector. Confirming the attention of the user by detecting the direction of their gaze, Face ID then uses neural networks to match and prevent spoofing attempts to unlock the phone, with the system automatically adapting to changes in the user's appearance over time.
Comments
The media has been completely out of control in “reporting” rumors on iPhone X. I rarely read the news on Apple. 99% seems made up nonsense.
If the rumor had come out of Gizmodo or CNET, it would be easy to dismiss. But because Bloomberg is highly credible and non-biased, this report has impacted AAPL stock valuation, meaning people are betting millions of dollars on the report's veracity. So now that Apple has made a comment (however contrived "and we can't wait..."), maybe look at how the stock does to decide who to believe.
I sense of SEC investigation of who published this more than anything else, Bloomberg better have all their ducks lined up, especially since they sat on the "info".
Odd reason for production problems
If at any given time, 100 components are made, and 20% pass quality assurance, then you only have 20 components. If that quality assurance test is changed to yield 50% acceptance, then you now have 50 components. You still made 100 components to start.
If Apple did loosen testing requirements, then more of the individual components responsible for any bottleneck in production are available for assembly, leading to more completed phones.
Apple has an excellent track record for under-promising and over-delivering on features, particularly in areas of privacy and security. Bloomberg, on the other hand, is a name associated with a number of Wall Street scandals and their tech news reporting has a checkered history that has included instances of inaccurate, misleading, and clueless reporting and analysis.
As AppleInsider previously noted, the change could have been made ahead of WWDC and so the public accuracy spec is not reduced (but perhaps an even higher than 1-in-a-million accuracy spec could have been announced). That would make both statements true.
More surprising to me is Apple's decision to heavily promote the X starting today. If the shortages are as severe as rumors suggest, then this decision would just increase the numbers of disappointed customers. And I think Apple actively tries to manage expectations (for example, as fun as the publicity was, they have worked to avoid launch-day lines at stores). Which all makes the announcement that some devices will be available in-store on launch day and the decision to promote the X intriguing. Maybe (just maybe!) the X will be much less constrained than expected? One can only hope. More thoughts here.