Samsung is trying to develop a new form of Face ID, far better from what currently exists, and filed a facial recognition patent last year. If you try Face ID on an Android device, it is subpar at best. The phone does little to no effort to identify if it’s actually you or just your image or someone who looks familiar.
Some phones even state this information about the face unlock feature being less secure than a PIN or password. However, the news of Samsung’s facial recognition patent ignited new hope of building a more-secure Face ID system than what currently exists. The patent showcases that Samsung wants to use a dual-front camera setup to implement the new face unlock system.
Samsung’s facial recognition patent: More details
GalaxyClub released the patent application to the public, which sheds more light on this new facial recognition method. The images reveal that this technology would require two front cameras to work. Moreover, both of these would be under-display cameras, complicating the situation even further.
Current-gen under-display camera smartphones like the ZTE Atom have only one camera sensor at the top. But the proposed design would require two cameras underneath the screen. The current face ID system available on Android phones uses the front camera to create a 2-D image of the user.
As highlighted above, the feature works fine in unlocking phones but is bad from a security standpoint. Using two cameras, Samsung tech would create a 3-D mapping of the user’s face. Moreover, there are also mentions of factoring in the pupil size for unlocking the phone.
Pupils contract in bright light and expand in low light. This response can be used to reduce the possibility of someone using a very detailed mask to unlock the device. As fancy as it sounds, it would take years to launch this feature.
Even if it does arrive, you would have to have a phone with not one but two under-display cameras. So, it could be an exclusive feature for a device that Samsung launches in the future. For now, it is best to use PIN and fingerprint sensors on Android devices for security.
