Apple reportedly relaxed Face ID component specs to speed up iPhone X production (Update: Apple denies)

Apple reportedly relaxed Face ID component specs to speed up iPhone X production

Update on Oct 26, 9am: Apple has issued a statement denying the claims made in the Bloomberg's article. 

Customer excitement for iPhone X and Face ID has been incredible, and we can't wait for customers to get their hands on it starting Friday, November 3. Face ID is a powerful and secure authentication system that's incredibly easy and intuitive to use. The quality and accuracy of Face ID haven't changed. It continues to be 1 in a million probability of a random person unlocking your iPhone with Face ID.

Bloomberg's claim that Apple has reduced the accuracy spec for Face ID is completely false and we expect Face ID to be the new gold standard for facial authentication.

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Originally published on October 26th, 12am:-

With pre-orders for the iPhone X starting this Friday (27 October) and the phone going on sale next week, Apple came under intense pressure to have ample supply at launch. When it was clear that the 3D sensor components were still the main cause for production delays, Apple reportedly did something unexpected to "solve" the problem. 

Sources familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that Apple "relaxed some of the specifications for Face ID" so that less time is required to test the 3D sensor components. As a result, manufacturers were able to ramp up production which might explain why KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote that issues with the "Romeo" and "Juliet" components are "resolved".

The "Romeo" and "Juliet" components are singled out as the main reason for the production delays by the Wall Street Journal. Due to the delicate nature of the technology and materials, precision during assembly and production is critical. 

Precision is key. If the microscopic components are off by even several microns, a fraction of a hair’s breadth, the technology might not work properly, according to people with knowledge of the situation.

It is unclear whether the relaxing of some specifications would affect the accuracy of Face ID. Even if it does, Face ID is likely to be better than Touch ID. It is said that Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams and Foxconn chairman Terry Gou met recently in Taiwan to discuss the production issues. 

Source: Bloomberg via 9to5Mac, AppleInsider