iPhone 8 could contain face detection feature that mutes notifications
In the midst of investigating an Apple library file in hopes of uncovering strings and references that provide clues to future products and features, iOS developer Guilherme Rambo noticed that the next iPhone will have the ability to detect when the user is looking at the screen in order to silence notifications, according to a report by Techcrunch.
The news comes a week after Apple accidentally released an early build of the firmware for its HomePod smart speaker contains several iPhone 8 design references, including the existence of infrared face detection in the BiometricKit framework.
The HomePod firmware contains a reference to the “supportsAttenuatingTonesForAttentionDetected” class. Previous leaks have confirmed that Apple has been developing a face detection technology, codenamed “Pearl ID”, that could replace the Touch ID sensor altogether.
The new iPhone will feature two front-facing cameras as well as an infrared sensor, which will potentially allow users to unlock the device using their face even in low lighting environments or if they’re not looking directly at their phone.
The new iPhone’s ability to silence notifications and vibrations means that the device will track the user’s face at all times.
Apple could potentially use face tracking technology for different applications, including unlocking an iPhone by simply looking at the notifications on the lock screen.
The past few months have seen ongoing rumors that Apple initially wanted to embed the fingerprint sensor in the iPhone display itself, but reports have revealed that the tech giant has been unable to produce tens of millions of devices with this technology. For this reason, Apple is expected to focus its efforts on facial recognition.
Next month, Apple is expected to announce three different iPhone models including two more powerful devices that will likely resemble the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus.
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