Apple’s announcement of the iPhone X on the device’s 10th anniversary shows how smartphone manufacturers want to pull out all the stops when it comes to evolving technology.

At their recent presentation, Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled a slew of exciting features representing the next step in evolution for device technology. The ability for iPhone cameras to recognize 3D objects and advance their AR (augmented reality) capabilities represents a huge iterative improvement on the existing device ecosystem.

“2018 will be the year where the smartphone camera takes a quantum leap in technology,” said Qualcomm product manager Philip-James Jacobowitz, who helps develop chips and other components for modern smartphones, to the New York Times.

Learn about the most promising of these features, what they can do, and how they might affect BYOD cyber security (bring your own device) by reading on.

What the iPhone X Can Do That Other Smartphones Can’t

During the Apple Keynote Event, Tim Cook highlighted two main features that the iPhone X adds to the smart device playing field.

Firstly, an advanced 3D imaging sensor will use facial recognition technology to unlock the phone instantly, as opposed to a home button or code-locked screen. While facial recognition has been a feature of other devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy S8, the previous technology only attempted to recognize flattened 2D images. The lack of a depth axis meant that all someone had to do to unlock a phone was to use a large image of the owner’s face.

The new iPhone, by contrast, uses a type of depth-sensing technology. Apple did not disclose how the technology works yet, but it is likely similar to Qualcomm’s Spectra system. Spectra uses infrared (IR) sensors to project dots on the surface of the object to be imaged. The different sizes of the dots informs the system’s depth axis, creating a 3D projection model for the image in question.

While older “flat” image recognition could have a false positive 1 out of 100 times, the new technology promises to lower those chances to one in a million by combining facial features with head shape.

A Window into a New World Through Your Phone’s AR Features

The second groundbreaking feature announced for the iPhone X and iOS 11 will be a more-advanced version of AR technology. “Augmented reality” uses environment scanning and specialized software to project virtual objects onto an environment when viewed through the smartphone screen.

Last year’s hit game Pokémon Go used the technology to hide “pocket monsters” around real life locations, requiring Pokémon hunters to walk around their communities to find them.

IKEA shows a more practical use of the technology with an app that can scan your home’s floors and display virtual versions of furniture on the phone screen. The furniture can be rotated, moved around and have its colors changed so that the customer can decide what products would look best in their space.

The IKEA Place app uses the new iOS’s ARKit package, which combines camera sensors and motion sensors to allow users to control AR environments using the gyroscope and accelerometer on their phones.

Other use cases will likely emerge that allow you to point your smartphone camera at a spot and have it digitally transformed, helping you solve business problems or stoke the imaginations of customers.

Enhancing BYOD Cyber Security in an Era of Evolving Devices

New capabilities for smartphone users also usually mean new opportunities for hackers. For instance, some worry that it’s only a matter of time before 3D printing or sophisticated VR mock ups of faces can defeat the iPhone X’s facial recognition security.

Recognize and adapt to the new challenges evolving devices create by working with a Stamford, CT cyber security consulting and managed IT services company. If your company allows a B.Y.O.D. policy (bring your own device), you should be prepared for the implications that new imaging technologies create.

U.S. Computer Connection can provide the latest, best advice as well as best-fit cyber security solutions for your needs. Find out how we can help you prepare for the new future when you contact us today.