The leak: Apple has been testing a prototype version of Face ID that would make significant improvements, according to Jon Prosser (74.3% accurate, via FrontPageTech.com).
- The prototype, which currently exists as a case that an iPhone 12 fits inside, features a new Face ID array that is almost identical to the one that will likely be found on iPhone 13, suggesting that these improvements could ship as early as this year
- “Internally, Apple employees are being asked to wear masks AND glasses to test the new hardware. Some tests are conducted with masks on / masks off. Others are conducted with glasses on / glasses off while wearing a mask” Prosser says
Our take: This is interesting, and would absolutely fix what is still Face ID’s Achilles heel: masks. The unlock with Apple Watch feature was a major step forward, but for everyone without an Apple Watch, wearing a mask with Face ID is still a bad experience. I’m not convinced this will actually happen on iPhone 13 with the testing occurring so recently, but on the 2022 iPhones…maybe.