It seems like we won’t get to see Android phones with 3D facial recognition till Q3 2018. According to a report by Digitimes, there is an issues with integrating related hardware and software at 3D sensing providers. The report notes that currently, the most mature 3D sensing solution is the the one jointly developed by Qualcomm, Himax Technologies and Truly Opto-electronics. However, the limit of only using the Snapdragon 845 in the module has deterred some manufacturers like Samsung and Huawei who would prefer using their own chipsets.
The report notes that Samsung and Huawei do not wish to depend on Qualcomm’s chipsets and instead plan to develop their own 3D algorithms. As a result, they won’t be amongst the first Android manufacturers to offer the technology. Digitimes’ report notes that this honour may fall to Xiaomi. The company’s Mi 7 has not yet been launched and the report notes that this could be due to the low success rate for facial recognition. The chipset is tipped to be powered by the Snapdragon 845.
Digitimes’ report goes against a Reuters’ report that stated that Apple had a two-year lead over Android manufacturers in the area of 3D sensing technology. Parts manufacturers, Viavi Solution Inc, Finisar Corp and Ams AG told the publication that bottlenecks on key components means that mass adoption of the technology will not happen till 2019. The report also noted that Android smartphone makers are struggling to source vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers or VCSELs, which are a key component of Apple’s TrueDepth camera, which is used for Face ID.