A Forbes journalist recently tested a 3D facial recognition unlocking system on different smartphones using a 3D printed version of his face. All Android smartphones would eventually open, but iPhone X was reluctant!

iPhone X’s Face ID facial recognition system is always more accurate and secure than that of its Android competitors. Thomas Brewster, a Forbes journalist, had his face printed in 3D and tested the unlocking of face recognition on five smartphones. All of them were opened, with different degrees of difficulty, except the iPhone.

The journalist had his face printed in 3D by a specialized company for $300. More than 50 cameras photographed his face, and a software refined the result. Therefore, this is not an approximate impression.

You can’t easily deceive face id

Apple has put the package in Face ID and displays it, as only iPhone X is not unlocked. Face recognition is only enabled if the user looks at a specific location (an option that can be turned on or off), can be turned off remotely, and Cupertino’s company has tested its technology with masks similar to Thomas Brewster’s. The face recognition is only enabled if the user looks at a specific location (an option that can be turned on or off), can be turned off remotely, and Cupertino’s company has tested its technology with masks similar to Thomas Brewster’s.

Just after the introduction of Apple’s technology, requests for 3D facial recognition sensors that allow unlocking have tripled. But apparently, Android manufacturers were not as careful as their Californian competitor.

Some manufacturers are warning

The Forbes journalist managed to deceive the facial recognition of four Android smartphones: an LG G7 ThinQ, a Samsung S9, a Samsung Note 8 and a OnePlus 6.

LG and Samsung have the advantage of notifying their user when the option is activated. “Your smartphone could be unlocked by someone or something that looks like you,” warns Samsung S9, for example. Manufacturers remember that a password, PIN or even an unlocking scheme would be more secure.

In Note 8, the Korean manufacturer offers even a faster, but less secure recognition option. Their first goal is the speed of execution, not protection. LG has made an effort to improve its system with updates, which has complicated Thomas Brewster’s task.

OnePlus 6, the only Chinese test brand, is the worst. The smartphone not only opens immediately and does not warn the user of the risks, but also offers facial recognition as the default unlocking method. In the 6T, it is so fast that it systematically overcomes digital unlocking at high speed.

To the journalist’s question, the manufacturers replied that they recommend identification by other means and that, in the case of paid services, they do not allow such identification. Because that’s the lesson you have to learn from experience: if security is your first concern, the best is using a password to unlock your device.

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