The upcoming Apple iPhone 8 will reportedly feature a facial recognition 3D front camera as a report suggests that LG Innotek, the parts unit of LG Group, will supply these camera modules.
According to Korea Economic Daily, the company has invested in a new facility worth 269.7 billion Won ($238.50 million) dedicated for Apple’s orders which had an initial deal size of an estimated 200 billion Won.
Apple and LG Innotek partnered last year when the iPhone 7 and and iPhone 7 Plus were launched. Currently LG Innotek supplies the dual-lens camera module for the iPhone 7 Plus as well as the LG G6. The upcoming facial recognition camera module is expected to be smaller than the current generation which is one of the reasons why they will be made at a dedicated facility .
Almost all Android smartphones come with facial recognition but those are mostly 2D based making them less secure. A 3D based facial recognition camera would definitely have better accuracy and be more reliable and suitable for security purposes.
The deal with Apple could be a win-win situation for LG Innotek in the long-term. According to analysts the company’s camera module sales could go up to 1.5 trillion Won in the fourth quarter this year which would be a jump from 400 billion Won in the first quarter.
