© Lemon squeezer
To identify the user, the vast majority of Android devices use a fingerprint recognition system which is either integrated into the screen or placed on the back or on the edge. Apple, for its part, has opted for facial recognition, relying on its FaceID technology, on its most recent models. If FaceID has proven its practicality and security, this technology requires Apple to place a fairly bulky sensor on the front of its iPhones. This is why the Cupertino company invented the Dynamic Island feature which, on the iPhone 15 series, hides the location of the front camera and the FaceID sensor.
But a company called Metalenz could make all this obsolete by offering, for Android smartphone manufacturers, an equivalent of FaceID which has two main advantages: called Polar ID, this technology is much more discreet and it costs less. “It's small enough to fit even the most awkward form factors, eliminating the need for a large notch in the display. It is secure enough not to be fooled by the most sophisticated 3D masks. Its resolution is significantly higher than that of existing facial authentication solutions. So even if you wear sunglasses and a surgical mask, the system still works”, says Rob Devlin, CEO of Metalenz.
A different technique
This solution, which challenges Apple’s technology, is based on another technique. According to Metalenz's explanations, unlike existing facial recognition solutions, which require large sensors and multiple images, Polar ID uses meta-optical technology that allows it to collect information on the details of the facial contour as well as human tissues, by s 'pressing a single image.
And this solution, which would allow Android smartphone manufacturers to have a better solution than FaceID, is getting closer to commercialization. In 2023, Metalenz was able to demonstrate Polar ID on a prototype smartphone that used Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 gen 3 processor. At the start of the year, the company also formalized a partnership with Samsung, which will be able to supply it with its ISOCELL Vizion 931 sensor.
Currently, rumors suggest that this new facial recognition system could land on future Samsung smartphones. In any case, the Metalenz company is indeed targeting manufacturers of Android smartphones. “Now demonstrated on a reference model of smartphone powered by the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile platform, Polar ID has the efficiency, size and price needed to enable any Android smartphone manufacturer to bring the convenience and security of face unlock to hundreds of millions of mobile devices which currently use fingerprint sensors”, the company explained, in 2023.
- As for Apple, rumors suggest that it is instead looking for a way to completely hide the FaceID sensor behind the iPhone screen.
- A company called Metalenz has developed a FaceID competitor for Android smartphones that is less bulky
- This would allow brands to move to facial recognition, without the need for place a large notch on the front
- Metalenz has already tested its technology, called Polar ID, on a reference model which uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 gen 3< chip /li>
- The company is also collaborating with Samsung, which will be able to provide it with a sensor
📍 To not miss any news from Presse-citron, follow us on Google News and WhatsApp.
[ ]