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3D Printed Head Unlocks Top Android Phones, iPhone X ‘Impossible’ to Beat: Report

3D-Printed Head Unlocks Top Android Phones, iPhone X ‘Impossible’ to Beat: Report

By Harpreet Singh | Updated: 17 December 2018 15:18 IST

Apple iPhone X was the only smartphone that survived the test

Highlights

Forbes tested facial recognition on top Android phones and iPhone X
All Android phones' facial unlocking could be spoofed
Only the iPhone X remained 'impossible' to beat

Most modern smartphones now ship with facial unlocking features these days. The promise of a quicker way to unlock your smartphone by just looking at it seems quite interesting. It offers an alternative to the good old trustworthy passcode, but is it really secure? No doubt this has been a major topic of debate ever since facial recognition technology started appearing on smartphones. A Forbes reporter decided to test it out with a 3D-printed model of his own head. What happened next may (or may not) surprise you.

Thomas Brewster, a reporter at Forbes, managed to get a 3D-printed model of his head at Backface in Birmingham, UK for around GBP 300 (roughly Rs. 21,100). The 3D model is created after capturing detailed photographs via 50 different cameras and editing the images. The result is a life-size 3D model that resembles an actual person and in this case the reporter himself.

The test was conducted on five different smartphones - iPhone X, LG G7 ThinQ, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, and OnePlus 6. After setting up the facial unlocking feature using his real face, Brewster was able to unlock all the four Android smartphones using the 3D printed model of his own head. He admits all the Android phones were unlocked with 'differing degrees of ease'.

But he couldn't unlock the iPhone X. He claims the iPhone X was impossible to beat with the 3D-printed model. At the launch of the iPhone X, Apple had claimed that it worked with Hollywood studios to test out its Face ID technology with 3D printed facial masks and other objects to see if it can be spoofed. But back in 2017, security researchers in 2017 had claimed to have found a way to bypass Apple's Face ID technology using an affordable face mask.

Even though the Android devices failed badly, Brewster says most manufacturers were found to be serving notices during facial unlock activation that the feature isn't completely secure, and is more of a convenience. Some Android manufacturers also advise customers to keep a passcode on as a secondary method of unlocking their phone, adding to the security.

However, the Forbes test also found no such warning on the OnePlus 6. The publication also claims it was the 'least secure' of all the devices they tested.

Even as mobile phone companies look towards making lives easier for their customers, at the end of the day it is up to the users themselves on what they pick. If you want to keep your phone secure, the passcode is still a great way to go about it. A combination of a fingerprint reader and a passcode work well as well. As for facial unlock, it's still more of a convenience for most mobile phone users rather than a 100 percent secure solution.

Apple iPhone X

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Stunning design and display
Great cameras
Wireless charging
Assured, timely software updates

Bad
Costs a small fortune
First party apps not great in India
Fast charger not bundled

Read detailed Apple iPhone X review

Display 5.80-inch

Processor Apple A11 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 3GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 2716mAh

OS iOS 11

Resolution 1125x2436 pixels

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Choose a variant

LG G7 ThinQ

KEY SPECS
NEWS

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 16-megapixel

RAM 4GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 3000mAh

OS Android 8.0

Resolution 1440x3120 pixels

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Samsung Galaxy S9

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent build quality and compact design
Stereo speakers
Good battery life
Snappy all-round performance
Very good rear camera
Vivid HDR display

Bad
Intelligent Scan feels clunky
Attracts fingerprints easily

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy S9 review

Display 5.80-inch

Processor Samsung Exynos 9810

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

RAM 4GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 3000mAh

OS Android 8.0

Resolution 1440x2960 pixels

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent buildquality, design and display
Useful stylus
Very good cameras
Speedy performance

Bad
Slightly heavy
Battery life could be better

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Note 8 review

Display 6.30-inch

Processor Samsung Exynos 8895

Front Camera 8-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

RAM 6GB

Storage 64GB

Battery Capacity 3300mAh

OS Android 7.1.1

Resolution 1440x2960 pixels

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OnePlus 6

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS
Variants

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Looks great
Excellent performance
Useful software customisations

Bad
Average camera quality
No wireless charging or weatherproofing

Read detailed OnePlus 6 review

Display 6.28-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

Front Camera 16-megapixel

Rear Camera 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 3300mAh

OS Android 8.1 Oreo

Resolution 1080x2280 pixels

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Choose a variant

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Further reading: Face ID, iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S9, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG G7 ThinQ, OnePlus 6, Face Unlock

Harpreet Singh

Email Harpreet

Harpreet is the community manager at Gadgets 360. He loves all things tech, and can be found hunting for good deals when he is not shopping online. He has written about deals and e-commerce in India for many years, as well as covering social media and breaking technology news. More