When Apple introduced their latest iMacs powered by the Apple Silicon M1 chip, it was a little disappointing to not see FaceID integration for biometric authentication. However, according to Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman, this is about to change in a couple years as Apple will reportedly introduce it in future iMacs.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman explains that Apple believes FaceID is the future of biometric authentication, and it will eventually be used across their devices, including their lower-end devices like the iPhone SE and iPad Air. Till then, Apple will continue to use TouchID as a cheaper alternative for secure biometric authentication.
He stated the following in the newsletter
But I expect that to eventually change. It won’t happen this year, but I’d bet Face ID on the Mac is coming within a couple of years. I expect all iPhones and iPads to transition to Face ID within that timeframe, too. Eventually, a camera embedded in the screen would help differentiate Apple’s pricier devices by eliminating the notch at the top. The facial recognition sensor gives Apple two central features: security and augmented reality. Touch ID, more convenient or not, only provides the former.
Integrating FaceID in such a thin display is particularly difficult in a design like the iMac, and it was one of the primary reasons as to why it was not introduced this year. Apple will eventually succeed, however. As mentioned above, Mark Gurman expects Apple to integrate the FaceID sensors under the display itself, which would eliminate the need for the notch entirely. This rumour has also been corroborated by Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, who expects such an iPhone to launch as early as 2023.