HomePod firmware confirms the next iPhone will use infrared face unlock

Pinning down the precise features of the next iPhone has been difficult of late.

A standard “S” model iPhone 7 and 7 Plus that won’t be radically different from last year’s is expected, but we’re also expecting a high-end model. It appears, based on a tweet from developer Steve Troughton-Smith, that at least one of those models will have face unlock.

And the high-end model (alternately referred to as the “iPhone Pro,” “iPhone 8,” or even “iPhone X”) will have a bezel-less screen that wraps around the speaker and cameras at the top.

These discoveries are by far the best hints at what to expect from the “iPhone 8,” which is expected to launch later this year.

Additionally , the phone may feature a glass back along with wireless charging this time according to the Verge. That said, there’s still no confirmation on the fate of Touch ID: while the HomePod firmware code seems to suggest that it’s sticking around, there’s no indication as to whether it’s ditching the usual Home button execution in favor of an under-display fingerprint scanner (as shown off by Qualcomm and Vivo at MWC Shanghai).

There’s also references to an infrared camera, which would be used to detect your face, even in the dark. Bloomberg reported that Apple would use an infrared camera for 3D face scanning earlier this month, but its not known yet whether it will come to all of upcoming iPhones.

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