Apple considered adding Face ID to 24-inch iMac

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware
Apple allegedly considered adding Face ID to its refresh of the 24-inch iMac, but the Mac maker is more likely to add the biometric security feature to a desktop Mac display long before it lands on a MacBook Pro.




Apple's introduction of a display notch in the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro opened up the possibility of Apple bringing Face ID from the iPhone to the Mac. While the notch strongly points to it being a future inclusion, it seems that Apple was looking in another direction for the transition.

Rather than a MacBook Pro, Apple's first real consideration for Face ID in a Mac was for the 24-inch iMac, according to Mark Gurman in his Bloomberg "Power On" newsletter. It is claimed "Face ID was in the cards for the original M1 iMac."

While it didn't have a notch, the iMac was apparently a firm favorite for the feature since its display was sufficiently thick enough for the components to fit. The MacBook lineup has "fairly thin screens" that are capable of containing the FaceTime HD camera, but without enough depth for what's needed for Face ID to work.

Due to the thinness of MacBooks, Gurman believes that if Face ID does make it to the Mac, it will be "on an iMac or external monitor first." Apple apparently "has definitely been working on this, but time will tell if they launch it."

Gurman's comments echo earlier reports on the subject, including one from January 2021 saying Apple had been working on the feature, but that it was unlikely to arrive in 2021 at all. By July the same year, it was reckoned that Face ID would move over to Mac within a few years.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    wood1208wood1208 Posts: 2,913member
    FaceID is great biometric authentication tech but not for every scenarios or gadget.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 2 of 10
    rob53rob53 Posts: 3,251member
    wood1208 said:
    FaceID is great biometric authentication tech but not for every scenarios or gadget.
    I like it on my iPhone and would enjoy it on a newer iPad. When it comes to the iMac it needs to be able to save multiple faces and either go back to the logon screen when it sees a different face or automatically change to the new user. This feature would be customizable to also lock the screen when the user leaves. I can see this being used in corporate, educational and government environments especially those creating sensitive and classified information. It would keep people from typing on a person’s computer without their knowledge (yes, this happens a lot). 

    As for other gadgets, it would be interesting for an Apple TV remote, bringing up your account on every TV app without you having to scroll all over the place. 

    As for Apple Watch I don’t see how it would be integrated into the face. With a cellular version you don’t need an iPhone (?) nearby so some other process, ECG?, would need to be developed.

     It’s always fun thinking of new ways to enhance Apple products. I had my first Mac at work on 1989 and they’ll have to pull my iPhone 44 out of my cold dead hands!
    patchythepiratewilliamlondonbyronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 10
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,853member
    Two faces should be the limit, anything more means why bother…..
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 10
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,464member
    I’m actually happy with just having the Touch ID on the keyboard. I feel it’s more deliberate than Face ID. Touch ID does not allow me to accidentally login into something. 
    byronldewmewatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 10
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,710member
    I think this was reported a year ago. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 10
    chris_kalanchris_kalan Posts: 22member
    danox said:
    Two faces should be the limit, anything more means why bother…..
    I think it would need to be at least four or five for those families with multiple users. Want to sign on? Just show up to the computer and look at the screen and it will know which account is yours based on your face.

    bloggerblog said:
    I’m actually happy with just having the Touch ID on the keyboard. I feel it’s more deliberate than Face ID. Touch ID does not allow me to accidentally login into something. 
    Face ID wouldn't accidentally log you in either - they would likely include some sort of prompt such as a button press, the way they currently do on the phone. Not as slick as Touch ID, since the Touch ID button doubles as both the authentication and the button press confirmation itself, but it wouldn't be as easy to accidentally buy something by clicking Apple Pay and continuing to just look at the screen. That's a quick (bad) way to accidentally preorder a Tesla.
    byronlwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 10
    photography guyphotography guy Posts: 144member
    FaceID seems like a pretty natural and intuitive feature to have on a MacBook and iMac, since the user is almost always sitting directly in front of the screen anyway. Ideally there would also be the capability to combine variations of FaceID and TouchID for more security-sensitive tasks; like, don't execute a task unless FaceID and TouchID are verified. Other tasks could be activated by only TouchID or only FaceID. Allow for some user controls over those configurations, with recommendations on which to use for certain situations: Amazon Prime login could just be with FaceID (i.e. you just need to be present to access) whereas, accessing your online bank account would require both FaceID and TouchID (i.e. it would be more difficult for an imposter to spoof BOTH your face AND fingerprint); Apple Music/TV/Arcade or other online purchases could be verified by TouchID (i.e. you would have to deliberately activate the transaction; this would avoid accidental purchases because you just happened to be sitting in front of your computer).
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 10
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,571member
    Why couldn't a box like the Mac Mini contain a small camera at the front t support Face ID? I don't see the problem. Most people place their Mac Mini in front of them.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    22july2013 said:
    Why couldn't a box like the Mac Mini contain a small camera at the front t support Face ID? I don't see the problem. Most people place their Mac Mini in front of them.
    Even if that were true, which I'm not convinced it is, the camera would be at desk height.  It'd be the same effect as those dumb webcams inserted into the keyboard of a laptop, with video coming out at a shitty angle making every user look like they have giant hands and flared nostrils.



    Apple delivering a new display with a built in webcam would be much better, and for those that don't want that, buy a separate webcam and mount it in a sensible place; not on your desk level.
    muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 10
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,571member
    crowley said:
    Why couldn't a box like the Mac Mini contain a small camera at the front t support Face ID? I don't see the problem. Most people place their Mac Mini in front of them.
    Even if that were true, which I'm not convinced it is, the camera would be at desk height.  It'd be the same effect as those dumb webcams inserted into the keyboard of a laptop, with video coming out at a shitty angle making every user look like they have giant hands and flared nostrils.



    Apple delivering a new display with a built in webcam would be much better, and for those that don't want that, buy a separate webcam and mount it in a sensible place; not on your desk level.
    Your points are valid, but I didn't want it to be usable as a camera, just for Face ID. I don't think Face ID cares if it sees more nostrils than forehead. I use Face ID on my phone every day with the camera pointing in the wrong direction and it still works just fine.
    edited February 2022 watto_cobra
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