When Apple launched the first Face ID device, the iPhone X, I said it was the start of a world where seamless, perpetual, passive authentication would change the way we use Apple computers and software.
Then, Apple brought Face ID to the iPad but not to the Mac, where I always thought it could be very useful. Seven years later, the Mac still lacks Face ID, but that’s only because Apple can’t fit its components inside the laptop’s lid, which is much skinnier than iPhones or iPads.
However, Apple might be working on a Face ID product that could be even cooler than a Mac with 3D face authentication support, and one I should have totally seen coming. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is developing a Face ID doorbell that will integrate with other Apple devices, including upcoming smart home products.
While it’s unclear when or even if Apple will actually launch the doorbell, a Face ID doorbell would change the way home security works. It would be even cooler than smart locks that let you unlock the door with an iPhone or a wearable. The door would recognize your face and let you in as easily as unlocking your iPhone with Face ID.
Recent rumors, including previous coverage from the Bloomberg reporter, mentioned other smart home devices in Apple’s product roadmap. Next year, Apple will launch a smart home display that looks like a smaller iPad and acts like a smart home hub. Apple is also reportedly working on security cameras for the home that would work with the smart display.
A video doorbell with Face ID support seems like the kind of product that Apple would have to develop in this context. It would leverage some of Apple’s best features, including the secure 3D authentication algorithm and the strong privacy and security of Apple’s ecosystem. Gurman says the doorbell would protect consumer data using Apple’s upcoming Proxima chipset and its secure enclave feature.
The work on the Face ID doorbell is said to be in the early stages. If Apple decides to proceed with it, it might launch the product before the end of next year.
Apple is reportedly assessing some risks associated with this type of product. Face ID is very secure, with Apple saying that the system has less than a 1-in-1-million chance of a security breach. But if a breach does happen with a doorbell, an intruder could gain entry to the user’s home.
Gurman also cites another danger that Apple must account for. Since the doorbell would work with third-party smart locks via the HomeKit ecosystem, Apple would also have to deal with the home invasion risks associated with those devices.
Finally, Gurman says Apple may decide against selling the product under its own brand and partner with Logitech or Belkin. The reporter still notes that Apple is very interested in turning the smart home market into a moneymaker, regardless of whether the Face ID doorbell project is greenlit or canceled.
