Apple’s next iPhone event doesn’t start until Tuesday, but the internet has been set ablaze with new rumblings after a newly leaked final build of iOS 11 hit the web this weekend. The leak confirmed a lot of what we already knew, but there are a couple of new revelations worth talking about.
Face ID
Apple’s firmware leak references Face ID, which appears to be the official name for the advanced facial detection feature we talked about here. The leaked setup animation walks users through the process of setting their phone up to use the feature. Much like Apple’s existing fingerprint sensor, prompts guide you through moving the device to capture your face at multiple angles.
If rumors are to be believed, Face ID could be among the most advanced facial recognition technologies to ever grace a mobile device.
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We know the new iPhone will have a near bezel-less display. What we don’t know is how Apple, or developers for that matter, will handle the area around “the notch.” The space to the left and right of the camera notch has been the subject of much debate, and Saturday iOS developer Guilherme Rambo gave us our first glimpse of what that could look like — only on a current generation phone.
There's a nice little animation when you connect it to power pic.twitter.com/GFimRxbCAm
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) September 9, 2017
AirPod updates
According to 9to5Mac, the AirPods are getting an upgrade as well. It’s nothing major, but a minor tweak sometimes makes all the difference. And for AirPod users, this one should be a welcome addition.
The existing charging indicator, for some reason, is located inside the AirPods case. For users, this is a real pain in the ass, as you have to open the case each time you want to check the battery status. Newer AirPods make a design decision Apple should have made with the first generation: moving the battery indicator to the outside of the case.
Animated poop emoji?
Apple is also introducing a fairly substantial emoji upgrade. Dubbed ‘Animoji,’ Apple’s new feature reportedly taps the front-facing camera to create cute little animated emoji based on your own facial expressions. Apple described Animoji to The Verge as: “custom animated messages that use your voice and reflect your facial expressions.”
Apple’s still working on including more 3D emoji models, and according to the firmware we should soon see monkeys, dogs, cats, and even the ever-so-popular poop emoji.
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