When Apple announced its tenth-anniversary phone the iPhone X, it sparked controversy with the decision to remove the home button. Favoring an edge-to-edge display, the new phone lost Touch ID, one of Apple's most popular features. The technology allows users to perform functions such as unlocking their phone and paying for apps with the simple touch of a finger.

Out with the old

The iPhone X's new facial recognition software is the Face of the future. The technology allows users to unlock their phone by simply looking into the camera. While Samsung released the feature first in their Galaxy S8, Apple seems a lot more confident with their software.

Samsung's devices that have the revolutionary feature still maintain their fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. While it's nice for users to have both options, it's clear that Apple's Face ID will reign supreme.

Since Apple abandoned Touch ID in its latest model, fans have begun to wonder whether or not the feature will ever be used again. Before the new phone was announced, rumors circulated of the company's plans to create a fingerprint scanner under the screen. It's unclear whether or not Apple will continue to pursue this feature.

Recognizing all people

In the past, many companies have attempted to create facial recognition technology but ultimately failed. According to Gizmodo, HP and Google have both tried to utilize their version of the software in the past.

The companies' fails were very controversial, as they failed to recognize dark skin people. In 2015, Google's software categorized dark skin people as gorillas, leading to bad press for the tech company.

Senator Al Franken asked Apple to explain how their technology was trained. He wanted to ensure that there was no possibility that the software would discriminate against people by race, gender, or age.

On Monday, Apple spokeswoman Cynthia Hogan released a statement addressing Franken's concern. "The accessibility of the product to people of diverse races and ethnicities was very important to us," she claimed.

Hogan went on to explain the process behind Apple's Face ID. She said that the company used over one billion images in its training of the software, working with people from all over the world.

Their tests included people of all races, ages, and genders. The spokeswoman also said that the company worked to develop a safety feature that ensures photos or masks cannot be used to trick the software.

The iPhone X is available for pre-order on October 27 and shipping will begin at the beginning of November.
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