It is estimated that the biometric technology market will reach $25 billion by 2020, with an average annual growth rate of about 14% over 5 years. Among them, facial recognition is the fastest growing, increasing from $900 million in 2015 to $2.4 billion in 2020. Why is the biometric market so large? Among various biometric technologies, which recognition technology is superior?
Biometric technology can be understood as the technology to identify faces, voices, signatures, irises, fingerprints, palms, or other characteristics (such as DNA), which is widely used in various fields such as transportation, logistics, and border control. In 2012, over 50% of the biometric market was generated by these areas. Analysts emphasize that this growth trend will continue until 2019. From traditional hardware sales and software development to cloud service solutions and the potential future monetization of big data, biometric profit models are diverse. The future biometric market is expected to maintain high-speed growth. It is expected that by the year, the global biometric market will exceed $25 billion, and the domestic market will exceed 30 billion yuan.

With the development of biometric technology, its application in smart devices is becoming increasingly widespread. Taking Apple as an example, this dominant player in the digital world is also fond of biometric technology, making it one of the important parts of the digital product update layout in recent years. Here, we will look at the importance of various biometric technologies from Apple's attention to them.
Fingerprint Recognition: Relatively Mature and Will Continue to Expand
Remember when Apple added a fingerprint touch sensor to the iPhone 5s, sparking a fingerprint recognition craze in smartphones, leading many flagship brands to incorporate fingerprint recognition? The new generation of Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus also continued this feature. Apple infused new vitality into smartphones with fingerprint recognition, triggering a wave of applications in smartphones.
As early as 2012, Apple began acquiring fingerprint sensor manufacturers, laying the foundation for its fingerprint recognition applications. After long-term development and application, fingerprint recognition technology has become increasingly mature, successfully winning over consumers after its launch. According to reports, the iPhone 8, to be released in September this year (2017), will continue to use fingerprint recognition technology, replacing the capacitive sensor with an optical sensor hidden under the screen. A fingerprint recognition sensor will also be installed under the display.
Facial Recognition: The Next Successor to Fingerprint Recognition
Although fingerprint recognition has successfully attracted attention in the market and opened up new applications for mobile phones, various biometric technologies are currently competing with each other. Compared to the long-term understanding of fingerprint recognition, emerging biometric technologies such as facial recognition and iris recognition offer consumers more possibilities. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the iPhone's launch, Apple is developing several hardware updates for the iPhone, one of which is the full adoption of a facial recognition system. Apple has collaborated with Lumentum to develop 3D technology, which can be used for facial recognition, providing high-resolution images for cameras, and used in some augmented reality software. However, currently, the method of use for this technology has not yet been officially announced.
Iris Recognition: Too Early
In addition to fingerprint and facial recognition, speculation about Apple has focused on iris recognition technology. The iris is the ring-shaped part between the black pupil and the white sclera. Its uniqueness determines the uniqueness of user identity recognition, undoubtedly enhancing security. Previous reports have indicated that Apple has been in talks with Taiwanese supplier Xintec to equip the iPhone 8 with an iris scanner, with the latter becoming the contract manufacturer and planning to start mass production later this year. In addition, Apple applied for the IrisEngine iris engine patent before Samsung and acquired Faceshit and PrimeSense, focusing on facial recognition, gesture recognition, and iris recognition technologies. However, according to the latest news, the Apple products to be launched this fall will miss out on iris recognition technology due to some limitations.
In addition to these three more popular technologies, Apple has also focused on heart rate recognition technology. According to Appleinsider, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced this new patent on Thursday. This patent, titled "User Identification System Based on Volume Plethysmography," can identify a user's biometric characteristics using a pulse oximeter. This function is similar to the TouchID fingerprint recognition function used on iPhones and iPads and may become an exclusive unlocking function for the Apple Watch in the future. Once this system is put into use, it will greatly subvert Apple's wearable devices. Apple first applied for this patent in May 2016 and claimed Daniel J. Culbert as the inventor.
From Apple's application and attention to various biometric technologies, it is evident that the application of biometric technology is diverse, and there are many potential markets. When judging the feasibility of a biometric method, especially when comparing it with other recognition methods, we often need to consider its uniqueness, richness, and stability. Who will dominate the future biometric market? Let's wait and see!