Apple's Beats brand in April unveiled the Powerbeats Pro, a redesigned wire-free version of its popular fitness-oriented Powerbeats earbuds.
iPhone 8 Facial Recognition Appears to Support Payments, Multiple Faces and Third-Party Apps
Developers are still digging into the recently released HomePod firmware to suss out additional details on Apple's upcoming "iPhone 8," and the latest information, sourced from developer Guilherme Rambo, hints at several features we might see in the new device.
According to strings of code uncovered by Rambo, the facial recognition feature coming in the iPhone 8 appears to support authentication for Apple Pay payments, seems to work with multiple faces, and may be accessible by third-party apps, much like Touch ID.
A line in the code references a payment authentication error with "Pearl," Apple's internal code name for face recognition in the iPhone 8, while a string that reads "numberOfAppsUsingPearl" suggests facial recognition functionality can be accessed by third-party apps, likely as a passcode replacement. Given this information, facial recognition appears to be a full replacement for Touch ID, just as rumors have suggested.
Apple's upcoming facial recognition system is said to be faster and more secure than Touch ID. It can unlock an iPhone within a few hundred milliseconds, and it captures more data points than a fingerprint scan. Thanks to previous firmware leaks, we also know that it works when the iPhone is laying flat on a table and it mutes notification sounds when a face is in view.
In addition to unveiling new information about facial recognition, Rambo has also found a few other interesting bits of code that may hint at additional features coming in the iPhone 8.
There are references to multi biometrics, modern HDR, 1080p240 camera capture functionality for a "back" and a "front" (suggesting 240 fps video capture at 1080p, an upgrade from the current 720p limit), and mentions of "FrontPearl" and "BackPearl" camera support.
While the HomePod firmware has provided us with a range of details on what to expect from the iPhone 8, it's important not to read too much into ambiguous code and make too many assumptions about features that are as-of-yet unclear. "BackPearl" could suggest facial recognition for both the front and rear cameras, for example, but it could mean something else entirely. The same goes for multi-biometrics and modern HDR.
Additionally, not all of the referenced features are guaranteed to make it into the iPhone 8, so take this code as a suggestion of what might be coming rather than concrete proof of a feature.
Apple first released the HomePod firmware in late July, and because it was meant for employees testing the not-yet-available HomePod speaker, which runs a version of iOS, Apple did not strip out references to upcoming products and features.
Images of an iPhone 8 dummy model shared by Ben Miller
From the firmware, we've seen glimpses of the final design of the iPhone 8, and have found references to infrared-based facial recognition features, a split status bar, a tap to wake feature, new SmartCamera functionality, and more.
Details on other upcoming products, including the HomePod itself, the Series 3 Apple Watch, and a possible 4K Apple TV have also been uncovered in the firmware.
According to strings of code uncovered by Rambo, the facial recognition feature coming in the iPhone 8 appears to support authentication for Apple Pay payments, seems to work with multiple faces, and may be accessible by third-party apps, much like Touch ID.
A line in the code references a payment authentication error with "Pearl," Apple's internal code name for face recognition in the iPhone 8, while a string that reads "numberOfAppsUsingPearl" suggests facial recognition functionality can be accessed by third-party apps, likely as a passcode replacement. Given this information, facial recognition appears to be a full replacement for Touch ID, just as rumors have suggested.
Apple's upcoming facial recognition system is said to be faster and more secure than Touch ID. It can unlock an iPhone within a few hundred milliseconds, and it captures more data points than a fingerprint scan. Thanks to previous firmware leaks, we also know that it works when the iPhone is laying flat on a table and it mutes notification sounds when a face is in view.
In addition to unveiling new information about facial recognition, Rambo has also found a few other interesting bits of code that may hint at additional features coming in the iPhone 8.
There are references to multi biometrics, modern HDR, 1080p240 camera capture functionality for a "back" and a "front" (suggesting 240 fps video capture at 1080p, an upgrade from the current 720p limit), and mentions of "FrontPearl" and "BackPearl" camera support.
"Back Pearl" pic.twitter.com/amAFPMzDw4
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) August 9, 2017
While the HomePod firmware has provided us with a range of details on what to expect from the iPhone 8, it's important not to read too much into ambiguous code and make too many assumptions about features that are as-of-yet unclear. "BackPearl" could suggest facial recognition for both the front and rear cameras, for example, but it could mean something else entirely. The same goes for multi-biometrics and modern HDR.
Additionally, not all of the referenced features are guaranteed to make it into the iPhone 8, so take this code as a suggestion of what might be coming rather than concrete proof of a feature.
Apple first released the HomePod firmware in late July, and because it was meant for employees testing the not-yet-available HomePod speaker, which runs a version of iOS, Apple did not strip out references to upcoming products and features.
From the firmware, we've seen glimpses of the final design of the iPhone 8, and have found references to infrared-based facial recognition features, a split status bar, a tap to wake feature, new SmartCamera functionality, and more.
Details on other upcoming products, including the HomePod itself, the Series 3 Apple Watch, and a possible 4K Apple TV have also been uncovered in the firmware.
Related Roundup: iPhone X
[ 159 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
27 months ago
Hang on a minute... That colour. I know where It has been debuted before.
... The ZUNE!
... The ZUNE!
27 months ago
I know it's just someone's really ugly mockup unit, but I would like to think Apple wouldn't release a poop-brown iPhone.
27 months ago
Woah, it's been leak after leak since the HomePod firmware got released.
('https://imgflip.com/i/1tucxl')
(https://imgflip.com/i/1tud95) (https://imgflip.com/memegenerator)
('https://imgflip.com/i/1tucxl') (https://imgflip.com/i/1tud95) (https://imgflip.com/memegenerator)
27 months ago
You know who I feel sorry for?
Macrumors' writers.
You have to constantly come up with new phrases for "leaked from homepod firmware".
Eventually you'll just say "it's f*****g homepod, you know it and I know"
Macrumors' writers.
You have to constantly come up with new phrases for "leaked from homepod firmware".
Eventually you'll just say "it's f*****g homepod, you know it and I know"
27 months ago
Copper color won't happen. It's a mistranslation from the supply chain. End of story.
[doublepost=1502320536][/doublepost]
There will not be a white front.
[doublepost=1502320614][/doublepost]
It's fake of course.. there won't be a copper iPhone hahah
[USER=1084594]@Infiniverse48[/USER]. I borrowed a quote from one of your previous posts. It seems appropriately fitting for you:
"An opinion can't be incorrect." In my case in terms of what I quoted, that's what's I believe.....Which doesn't make it incorrect or you being correct. That's called a conundrum. Also, I'd rather much have a discussion about a valid argument, not some personal preference that you're telling me without having any substantial evidence stating otherwise. It's just rather daft to be honest .
Furthermore, I have a difficult time taking your post(s) seriously on here after the post you made about the rocker style home button on the side of iPhone weeks back. Some things you state just don't add up at all on here. But I understand Being myopic can be a trait if you believe everything you quote without factual evidence.
27 months ago
I would agree. Many seem to not appreciate a white front and the copper color. I for one like it. I think it's a different contrast and the bronzed cooper tone seems like a color Apple Would release.
Oh my god......a Trump phone. Orange with front screen ringed with white like raccoon.
27 months ago
That left pic better not be accurate - if that’s what the copper/silver front will look like, way too much white showing. Glad it’s just a dummy mock-up.
[ Read All Comments ]
Earlier this summer, Mophie announced and launched a new line of Juice Pack Air cases for the iPhone XS and XS Max, which promise to add extra hours of battery life to your iPhone while providing...
After offering a look at its upcoming streaming service Disney+, and announcing a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu, Disney today confirmed the devices that will support Disney+ at launch. For Apple device...
Spotify is launching a new content filter feature for its Family Plan to give parents and guardians better control over what their children listen to.
The owner of the family plan master...
More details have emerged about the unreleased portable Bluetooth speaker from Sonos, thanks to new images shared by WinFuture (via The Verge).
The German site has published several marketing...
Version 17 of Ulysses was released today, bringing some much-requested features to the popular Mac and iOS app for writers.
First up, the developers have brought keyword management to the iOS...
Apple today sent out emails to customers about its latest Apple Pay promo, which will see the company donating $10 to the National Park Foundation for Apple Pay purchases made from the Apple...
We're just a few weeks away from the unveiling of this year's iPhone lineup as well as the official release of iOS 13 and Apple's other new operating system versions, and we're...
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with RAVPower to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a 61W USB-C Power Adapter and a USB-C to Lightning cable, which can be used to fast charge...
