Changing faces: Apple’s seamless integration is a new wave for consumers and products

Avatar
Written by Miri Buac

Tags: Apple ApplePay faceID facial recognition PR tech

Smartphones are integral to our daily lives. Actions are increasingly effortless – after all, Apple set a new bar for contactless payments through Touch ID. In May, the number of Apple Pay transactions increased by 300% YoY and there’s no doubt this is growing with new banks jumping onboard.

As consumers, we have an expectation for speed and fluidity, from an in-store customer experience in Zara to checking a balance on a banking app, or Monzo card.  Products and services are immediate through the touch of a button, a flick of the wrist, the blink of an eyelid.

Yesterday, Apple announced its new technological feat – the A11 bionic chip with a neural engine allowing consumers to command, unlock and pay with nothing other than facial recognition – simply called Face ID. The brand’s tenth anniversary not only welcomes a third-generation Apple Watch, but two new generations of smartphone – the iPhone 8 (and its plus counterpart) and, most importantly, the iPhone X (pronounced ‘ten’) which exclusively has the Face ID technology. But with a £1000 price tag, priced above a Macbook Air, is this Apple’s way of going beyond the mass smartphone market?

There’s no doubt consumers are having initial doubts over data protection, but Apple claims the new Face ID offers a 100% more protection than Touch ID. Craig Federighi, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, explained the process works by projecting more than 30,000 invisible IR dots through neural networks to create a mathematical model of your face. Apple then send the data to the secure enclave to confirm a match, and it adapts to physical changes in appearance over time.

This all happens within a second and it’s all very impressive, more impressive than E-passport gates found at most airports.

Will this technology become the new gold standard for shopping, banking and finance user experiences? It seems Apple Pay affiliated banks are already on board, with third-party app integration available from the launch date this November. Not to mention innovative user experiences for augmented reality third-party games and interactive ‘animojis’ that respond to facial expressions.

At Stand we work with brands that are changing the market including businesses, management consultants, banks and entrepreneurs. Efficiency and data protection is key. We’re living in a world where our technology is becoming faster, more seamless, intuitive and integrated. But do we need to take a moment to rethink?

Apple’s not exhausted the phone market, but instead its creating products and services that are so fluid we don’t yet know where we will need them. The reality is that if other brands and services don’t keep up, those in the ‘please enter your passcode’ slow lane will be left behind whilst Face ID gains market saturation.

 

Why every organisation should be thinking about the circular economy  

Imagine a world where every product is repaired, recycled or refurbished at the end...

More information

Food4Climate Pavilion appoints communications consultancy Stand ahead of COP28 

Marking its second year at the global climate summit, Food4Climate partners with Stand  Stand...

More information

Trans women being banned from female hospital wards is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to equitable healthcare

In October, during the Conservative Party Conference, Rishi Sunak made an announcement that could...

More information

This Financial Inclusion Week, look to the audiences you aren’t reaching 

This week marks the ninth Financial Inclusion Week, hosted by the Center for Financial...

More information

Yes, LinkedIn is your ultimate digital hub for connecting with investors

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, securing the right investors is crucial for the...

More information

The future of work – what does it look like? 

As a workplace culture fanatic, it doesn’t take much to convince me to engage...

More information

Stand creates new Advisory Board

The move marks a step change and targeted growth for the consultancy  Communications consultancy...

More information

Taking A Stand with Tom Kay, Founder of Finisterre.

Each month we’re sitting down with the trailblazers who are making a difference at...

More information

Sick days on the rise – cause for concern, or proving the need for change?

New research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simplyhealth has...

More information

Revving Up for a Sustainable Future: Why We Must Challenge Rishi Sunak’s Backtrack on Net Zero

As Climate Week in New York concludes, we find ourselves at a critical juncture...

More information

Apple’s Sustainability Video: A Storytelling Triumph with Gaps in Green Commitment

Apple’s latest sustainability video, featuring CEO Tim Cook and actress Octavia Spencer, has sparked...

More information

Taking A Stand with Nazim Valimahomed, Founder and Chief Product and Design Officer at Kroo.

Each month we’re sitting down with the trailblazers who are making a difference at...

More information

Celebrating success: Stand celebrates double victory, winning two PR awards

We’re delighted to share that our PR efforts secured us not one but two...

More information

We can’t afford to ignore migraine in the workplace

Do you work with someone who experiences migraine? Chances are, you do – you...

More information

Taking A Stand with James Rutter, Chief Creative Officer at COOK.

Each month we’re sitting down with the trailblazers who are making a difference at...

More information

The future of payment – the revolution of mobility technology

Phasing out petrol and diesel cars and introducing EVs is a great option in...

More information

Claire Brady on Net Zero Hero Podcast

Some people think that ‘circularity’ simply means recycling, but it is so much more...

More information

Earth Day

Earth Day provides an opportunity to take stock of our progress towards addressing the...

More information

When it comes to making sustainability claims, getting it wrong can cost organisations the earth

According to Robin Hicks, “2022 was the year that policymakers started to take greenwashing...

More information

Less is more: How low alcohol brands are targeting their Gen Z consumers

Dry January may be over, but giving up alcohol definitely hasn’t gone out of...

More information

Beyond B Corp: Breaking up with Barclays 

Last year we became a certified B Corp, and to do so we had...

More information

Three takeaways from the IPCC’s ‘final warning’ report 

This week has seen the release of the latest IPCC report assessing the climate...

More information

Why we’ve introduced a 4.5 day working week

As the rulebook of the working week gets rewritten, at Stand we continue to...

More information

Stand shifts as we move into our second decade

I founded Stand with one simple (but typically ambitious) belief: that good comms can...

More information

So… has the pandemic set us back or propelled us forward?

Last week, just days after the restrictions in England were lifted, we hosted our...

More information

Wellbeing is not a one-size-fits-all approach

It’s safe to say that being plunged into multiple lockdowns across the past 18...

More information

Covid-19 has given us a harsh lesson in education inequality

Although ‘Freedom Day’ is here, Covid’s effects will, as we hear all too often,...

More information

The pandemic of inequalities

Last week, the Health Foundation’s Unequal pandemic, fairer recovery report made headlines, revealing that...

More information

Has the pandemic set us back 50 years, or will it propel us forward?

At its onset, Covid-19 was described as the great leveller. But the pandemic has...

More information