Since 2013, when Apple's iPhone 5S launched fingerprint recognition technology TouchID, this technology has been a signature feature of Apple's mobile phones. However, in 2017, Apple introduced FaceID, a facial recognition technology, which gradually replaced TouchID. Not only that, but in iPad, Mac and other products, Apple has also used FaceID as a new generation of secure unlocking. According to the ** report, the next Apple products will no longer use TouchID, and the entire series will be upgraded to FaceID. Even the factory that produces TouchID chips for Apple will be shut down, and the production line has disappeared. This means that we will no longer see Apple's fingerprint recognition technology, and TouchID will be a thing of the past.
However, it was recently revealed that Steve Hautling, the inventor of TouchID, is leaving Apple. Some say he left because of retirement age, while others believe that he left because Apple completely abandoned TouchID and that Hotling's involvement in interface development projects such as FaceID was gradually decreasing, and he felt marginalized and chose to leave. Some even say that Apple unloaded Hotling and killed the donkey. Whatever the reason, the fact that Apple has moved away from TouchID can stop counting on under-display fingerprints or bezel fingerprints.
Why does Android phones generally use fingerprint recognition technology while Apple chooses facial recognition technology?In addition to the factors of high cost and difficulty in popularization, there is also a key reason for the closed nature of Apple's iOS system. Apple controls the entire ecosystem and can ask app manufacturers to support FaceID to achieve a response. The Android system is different, and the major manufacturers are customized based on AOSP, and the ecosystem cannot be unified, so they use their own fingerprint recognition solutions. As a result, app manufacturers are unable to provide facial recognition for every Android phone, and can only launch specific customized apps for specific models. Therefore, it is difficult for Android phones to fully popularize facial recognition technology, and they can only add faceID to high-end models to allow users to experience a hand, but because the ecology cannot keep up, fingerprint recognition is still indispensable.
From Apple's decision to abandon fingerprint recognition technology and switch to facial recognition technology, we can see Apple's pursuit of innovation and unique understanding of user experience. Although TouchID used to be Apple's signature feature, with the development of technology and the change of user needs, Apple chose to transform. As a more advanced and secure unlocking method, FaceID can improve the user experience and ensure data security to a certain extent. Apple's internal dependence on faceid also reflects its emphasis on visual solutions and the unified requirements of the overall ecology.
On the other hand, the differences between Apple and Android in the choice of facial recognition technology reflect the differences between the two in terms of operating system and ecological environment. Apple's closed nature allows it to master all the ecological environments internally, and can achieve integrated technology promotion. The openness of Android means that all major manufacturers will customize and choose independently, resulting in a lack of uniformity in the ecosystem. Therefore, the promotion of facial recognition technology on Android mobile phones has been greatly limited and cannot be fully popularized like Apple.
The rise of facial recognition technology is not only a technological innovation in the field of mobile phones, but also a progress in human-computer interaction. With the development of technology and users' demand for convenient and efficient unlocking methods, facial recognition technology is bound to continue to evolve and improve. Consumers should keep an open mind and accept the challenges and changes of new technologies in order to enjoy the convenience and fun brought by technology. Whether it is fingerprint recognition or facial recognition, it is to provide a better user experience and data security, and we should focus on technological progress and innovation, rather than insisting on a certain unlocking method.
Finally, the departure of inventor Steve Holtling can be understood as a phased change. With the development of science and technology, the update and iteration of technology is inevitable. For innovators, they can choose to stay in the original field and work hard, or they can choose to pursue breakthroughs in new directions. Whatever the reason for Hotling's departure, he has made great efforts and contributions to the research and development of technologies such as TouchID and FaceID. His departure may be in search of new opportunities and challenges, but we should applaud his achievements and efforts, and look forward to his continued efforts to create even more amazing technological breakthroughs in the future.