Even though Apple’s iPhone XR hasn’t been in stores for a full week, we’re already starting to see rumors emerge regarding Apple’s 2019 iPhone lineup. The latest tidbit of note comes from reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors) who writes that Face ID on Apple’s next-gen iPhones will see a significant boost in terms of reliability and performance.
Specifically, Kuo relays that Apple’s 2019 iPhone models will incorporate a new and more powerful flood illuminator designed to lessen the impact of invisible light from the surrounding environment.
Kuo’s report shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that Apple is always keen on improving the overall user experience. Indeed, Face ID on Apple’s 2018 iPhone models is already marginally faster than it was on last year’s iPhone X. What’s more, you might recall that Touch ID saw some discernible improvements with respect to both reliability and speed after its initial launch with the iPhone 5s. Put simply, for as useful as Face ID is now, it’s poised to become even better next year.
Kuo’s note reads in part:
We believe that Apple will raise the output power of the flood illuminator VCSEL to lower the impacts from invisible lights of environment in order to improve the Face ID user experience.
On a related note, Kuo corroborates other reports we’ve seen regarding Apple’s 2019 iPhone models, namely that Apple will stick with a three-model lineup consisting of two devices with OLED panels and one device with an LCD display. Kuo’s report also notes that next-gen iPads and iPhones in 2020 may incorporate a Time of Flight 3D camera, which would improve both photo quality and the Augmented Reality experience on both devices.
