Report: Apple buys facial recognition firm “RealFace” for $2M

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Rumor has it that the next major update of the iPhone will have facial recognition technology.

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To further fan those rumors, it is being reported that Apple has acquired a company called RealFace which specializes in said technology.

The company, formed in 2014, appears to have been purchased for $2 million, or several million dollars, according to the Times of Israel or Calcalist respectively. The company previously developed an app to mathematically determine the user’s best photos using its in-house facial recognition software.

The RealFace software provides “frictionless face recognition” directly on a relatively low-powered device like an iPhone. According to the company, it aims to “offer customers a smart biometric log-in solution” for mobile deployment.

The company had previously garnered $1 million in start-up funds, and employs somewhere between 5 and 10 people. The RealFace website is down, either by demand or intentional removal by the company or Apple is not yet known.

Recent rumors have claimed that the “iPhone 8” and possible other 2017 iPhone models will come equipped with a practical face scanning utility powered by a laser 3d scanner, not aimed at augmented reality application, at least to start.

The technology has more use than facial recognition. An API release could open up other uses like ultimate use in augmented reality and virtual reality headsets, clothing sizing, accurate distance measurements for home improvement, scanning for 3D printing, appliance and HomeKit integration, and other applications needing precise volumetric scans, or range-finding.