Apple’s rumored decision to ditch Touch ID on the iPhone 8 may not be as rushed a decision as some rumors have claimed.

Facial recognition features could replace Touch ID on Apple’s premium handset this year and a new patent filing shows the company has been working on the technology behind it for over 3 years.

In its newest application patent US020170199997, Apple describes a biometric authentication system that could use facial recognition sensors to unlock your iPhone. The patent highlights ways that the biometric data could be gathered without any input from the user.

One of the ways Apple proposes authenticating users is by embedding a fingerprint sensor into the display. Touch ID behind the display has been one of the biggest rumors for the iPhone 8. However, recent reports claim Apple is facing significant hurdles producing enough components.

Apple’s new patent proposal shows how facial scanning could replace Touch Id. Based on the patent description, it could be pretty great. If it works as well in the dark as it does in the light.

“The sensing component may be positioned such that the sensing region of the sensor includes expected positions of the users while the user operates the electronic device. The sensor may detect one or more biometric attributes of the user (e.g. facial or eye features) using the sensing component.”

A number of different sensors could be used for the facial recognition tech. 3D capture sensors would allow the iPhone to grab contour data of your face. Infrared sensors can be used to capture information on a user’s eyes.

The iPhone 8 (or iPhone Pro) is expected to be unveiled alongside the iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus at an event this fall. Other rumored features could include inductive charging, an all-glass design, better cameras and more.

Source: cult of mac