Face ID may finally be on the Mac — but there's a catch

Face ID may finally be on the Mac — but there's a catch

Update: Speaking of ID, Apple's digital ID feature has been delayed.

Face ID has been on the iPhone and iPad Pro for several generations, but the face-scanning technology could be coming to other Apple products, including Macs.

This is according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who said in his latest "Power On" newsletter (via MacRumors) that the Mac lineup will get Face ID technology "within a few years." Garman did not specify which models, but it is likely that this technology will be in the next-generation iMac and MacBook Pro.

According to Garman, Touch ID is a "cheaper alternative" to Face ID and remains an important part of Apple's ongoing strategy to enable biometric security in Apple's less expensive products. However, the company still plans to eventually include Face ID in products like the iPhone SE and iPad Air.

"It won't happen this year," Garman says, "but Face ID on the Mac will definitely be here within a couple of years." He expects all iPhones and iPads to also transition to Face ID within that time frame."

We have already heard rumors that Face ID may be coming to Macs in the future; code within the macOS Big Sur hinted at its arrival and fueled some people's hopes. Gurman himself also reported that Face ID was supposed to be included in the recent 24-inch iMac 2021, but was delayed until a future model.

Unfortunately, MacBooks may have to wait even longer for Face ID to appear. Garman notes that Apple's laptop screens are so much thinner than those of the iPhone and iPad that there is no room for the bulky depth sensor that Face ID requires.

As for the Face ID technology itself, Garman claims that Apple will eventually succeed in embedding the necessary sensors in the screen. In other words, it will kill the notch, but that may still be years away. After all, the iPhone 13 is only rumored to have a reduced notch, and the previous design hasn't changed since Face ID debuted on the iPhone X. Clearly, the recent iMac relaunch has concentrated on the 24-inch model, completely ignoring the 27-inch version. There have been suggestions that an upgraded model may be on the horizon, making the new 27-inch iMac a likely candidate for the Face ID debut on the Mac. Gurman notes, however, that it is unlikely to happen this year.

Nothing is certain, of course, but Gurman argues that Face ID is better suited to Apple's overall strategy than Touch ID because it offers security and augmented reality in one package. This is not so surprising given Apple's major focus on VR and AR prior to the rumored debut of Apple Glasses.

As for TouchID, it could instead undergo some transformation; Apple has been slow to adopt an under-display fingerprint scanner, but there are several rumors claiming that it will eventually happen, and the iPhone 14 is the first to get that upgrade rumored to be the first to get it.

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