Summary
- > What is Face ID?
- > Will Face ID be integrated into Macs?
- > When could Face ID be integrated into Macs?
While facial recognition has been available on iPhone and iPad since 2017, it is not yet present on any of the computer lines offered by Apple.
However, according to the latest rumors, the firm is working on the subject. In the near future, some Mac versions may come with Face ID. However, it would seem that the launch is impossible in 2021.
To learn more about this potential new Mac feature, read on.
What is Face ID?
In 2017, Apple equipped its iPhone X with a TrueDepth sensor itself integrating facial identification.
According to the brand, this identification system is more precise, faster and safer than Touch ID. The latter was first introduced on the iPhone 5 in 2013, MacBook Pro in 2016 and MacBook Air in 2018.
In addition to unlocking your smartphone from a simple glance, it allows you to automatically connect to different sites and services.
Will Face ID be integrated into Macs?
In March 2020, details of an Apple patent application mentioning Face ID on a Mac had been published. It was actually filed in September 2019 and is called "Light Recognition Module for Determining a User of a Computing Device".
In mid-June 2020, on Twitter, the account @blue_kanikama had written about the discovery of a system file supporting the imminent arrival of Face ID on macOS and tvOS. Those tweets have since been deleted.
Then, in July 2020, journalists spotted code in the macOS Big Sur beta hinting at the arrival of a TrueDepth sensor on Mac.
The 9to5Mac site has detected references to a "PearlCamera". This is an internal system name, later renamed "TrueDepth camera". This code also mentioned functions such as "FaceDetect" and "BioCapture".
On the other hand, it does not seem that Face ID can work on an Intel Mac since this functionality is made possible thanks to the move to Apple Silicon.
When could Face ID be integrated into Macs?
However optimistic in nature, we believe that it is unlikely that Apple will be able to market a new Mac integrating Face ID before the end of this year.
We expect the first Macs with Face ID to launch in 2022. With device development on track despite the current health crisis, next year seems like a plausible timeframe to us.
If we refer to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple would be working on facial recognition for the iMac. However, the site also claims that this feature won't be ready in time for the 2021 update.
