The Apple iPhone 8 Could Lose TouchID for Something Far More Futuristic

When the iPhone 5s introduced its revolutionary TouchID sensor on the home button, audiences applauded the semi-late-to-the-show feature because of its accuracy and relatively straight-forward setup and ease of use. Forbes is now reporting however that the next iPhone, some of whom have dubbed it the iPhone 8 or the 10th Anniversary Edition, could lose the beloved feature for something far more advanced — a front-facing facial recognition laser scanner.

JPMorgan analyst Rod Hall claims the new functionality improves upon accuracy even more, as TouchID had complications due to wet weather conditions and humidity that caused the fingerprint to be less than clear when read. Augmented and virtual reality applications could apply as well in addition to security purposes, where the camera could incorporate the owner’s hands and torso into a cross physical/digital field. The cost of a facial recognition technology however would mean users would have to hold the phone upright and intentionally stare at the front-facing camera, with no foreign objects — glasses, deviating facial hair — obscuring the view in order for the scanner to process, which could lead to awkward situations as well as its own set of complications.

What do you think of the potential for facial recognition into the iPhone 8? Leave your comments below.