In 2018, you might be able to unlock your iPhone just by looking at it – as “industry sources” are said to have claimed that iPhones with iris sensors are likely to be introduced that year.
This news comes from DigiTimes – which, nonetheless, reports nothing about how Apple intends these sensors to be used. The most obvious purpose would be allowing users to unlock their iPhones even more speedily than they currently can with the Touch ID fingerprint sensors.
However, with Touch ID now also used for various other purposes, including securely authenticating Apple Pay payments, checking into flights and starting cars, Apple could have similar plans with ‘Look ID’. Possible iris recognition has previously been predicted for an alleged 5.8-inch iPhone due next year.
Microsoft’s high-end Lumia 950 and 950 XL smartphones released last year already allow users to unlock their devices with iris scanning, here using two special cameras – including an infrared camera – which brings each phone’s total number of built-in cameras to four.