The upcoming iPhone X will use Face ID, technology that unlocks your iPhone X by using infrared and visible light scans to uniquely identify your face. The company says it will work in a variety of conditions and is extremely secure. Though no one outside Apple has yet been able to confirm how well it works.
This brings up a lot of questions about Face ID. We'll work to get answers to you as you ponder whether you want to buy an iPhone X when it starts shipping November 3.
What is Face ID?Face ID a form of biometric authentication. Rather than a password (something you know) or a security dongle or authentication app (something you have), biometrics are something you are. Fingerprint recognition is also a biometric.
[ Further reading: Everything you meed to know about iOS 11 ]Instead of one or more fingerprints, as with Touch ID, Face ID relies on the unique characteristics of your face. Apple is betting that its technology can meet five separate hurdles:
Initially scan your face accurately enough to recognize it later.Compare a new scan with the stored one with enough flexibility to recognize you nearly all the time.Scan your face in a wide variety of lighting conditions. (The article continues...)