A next-generation Apple MacBook laptop or iMac desktop could include the firm’s Face ID biometric security tech, judging by code discovered in early versions of macOS Big Sur.
9to5Mac dug into the forthcoming Mac operating system update and found evidence the company’s TrueDepth camera used to enable for Face ID on the iPhone and iPad Pro is in the works.
Within Big Sur beta 3, the site unearthed a new extension that refers to the “PearlCamera”, which is the internal name Apple has for the TrueDepth camera and Face ID tech.
Beyond that, the code features references to “FaceDetect” and “BioCapture” which are similar to the codes found in iOS the site says.
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The report goes onto say the implementation is “still in the early stages” so it would be prudent not to expect this for a while, and likely not within the new Mac models expected to launch in 2020.
The addition of Face ID would be a nice boon for Mac owners, many of whom have gained a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the top right corner of the keyboard in the last few years. Face ID is safer than a fingerprint sensor, Apple has long stated, and bringing the tech to the Mac may be made easier by the switch to Apple Silicon.
The company is switching to ARM-based processors similar to those found in the iPad Pro, which should enable much closer alignment of all elements of the wider Apple ecosystem, including universal applications.
The first Macs of their kind will arrive before the end of 2020, while the transition is expected to be completed by the end of 2020. Intel-based Macs will continue to be supported by macOS updates for years to come, but the switch to Apple Silicon is definitely the end of an era and the beginning of a bold new one.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
