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> I unlock it when I get it out of my pocket.

Once you look at it, it will be unlocked.

It's a mistake to underestimate the impact of small delays. Developers ruthlessly cull their editor configurations to avoid little delays here and there. A delay every time you want to use your phone sounds annoying.

There are plenty of contexts I'd like to use my phone where face recognition isn't available: on a bus at night with no light, so as not to disturb others.




Interesting the phenomenon where although the original presentation...

1. Indicates it will recognize you in the dark (https://youtu.be/mMV_LcrZtLg?t=21m29s)

2. An accompanying video indicates it works in the dark (https://youtu.be/K4wEI5zhHB0?t=1m47s)

3. The Apple website indicates that "Invisible infrared light helps identify your face even when it’s dark." (https://www.apple.com/iphone-x/#face-id)

4. The parent article indicates "It uses only infrared and existing light, which means it will work in darkness without any more light than is coming off of the phone’s screen."

..that seemingly knowledgable folks can be still confused.

Bringing new tech to market isn't easy, but convincing folks that it's not a rehash of existing tech is hard too.


The new RTFM: Read The F*cking Marketing


It supposedly works in the dark, too - it doesn't just take a picture, it projects an infrared grid on the face to scan.

It would be kinda stupid to introduce a feature that may not work 50% of the time.


I understand the pain of delays, but I'm guessing hats not an issue. Apple tends to be pretty strict about that kind of thing.

> [...] on a bus at night with no light, so as not to disturb others.

That's why the phone has an IR light emitter, so it can work in total darkness. The images in the presentation where the phone lit the person's face up or projected dots on it were simulations to give you an idea what it's doing, but it's all done with IR.


Its entirely IR based though, including a built in IR projector, so whether its night, or even completely pitch black, should theoretically in practice not matter at all. Given humans can't see the light from the IR projector I doubt it's going to wake anyone up either!




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