Why is SUPER_ID only available for iPhoneX or better?

During the process of publishing the SUPER_ID App, we, the team of artist and curators, got confronted with several technological issues around the Apple environment. Why? Apple is pushing upcoming face related augmented reality applications to use new FaceID technology based on their TrueDepthAPI. This API ( API = software interface) is connected to a complex hardware camera system, which is integrated in the newer iPhoneX++ Generations. We are talking about multiple lens and infared scanning system that is capable to scan up to 30.000 unique facepoints. This is a technology that can be compared to a fingerprint scanner, without touching.

Why is SUPER_ID available for older Android devices?

Since Google recently started to support FaceID with their new Android Q operating system, the hardware and software support for complex face scanning is not that far compared to Apple's approach. Since most Android devices have a single front-facing camera, a reliable face recognition becomes complicated for a broad audience. The SUPER_ID Application is designed for a rough face detection with an artistic postion in mind.

What can I do to get my SUPER_ID anyway?

The only way for the moment is to use an Android device/Android 7.0++ or an iPhoneX/iOS 11.0 or newer.

What does that all mean? (the artistic perspective)

Tristan Schulze: Today, most tech companies do introduce new technology to the market, mostly with good intentions like comfort or simplicity in mind - but honestly, no one is capable to see the whole impact of these new tool for our future, so my role as an artist is, to reflect possible critical developments back to society, so these isses rise from the invisible to be discussed by all of us. In this recent case of SUPER_ID we can observe a rising biometrics based technology that can be used in a very entertaining and useful way, but can also be potentially misused as a surveillance supertool for companies and governments. To be clear: The emergence of data produced with newer smartphones and ftools like TrueDepthAPI / FaceID / ARkit / ARcore is unfortunately not clear to most of the users of this technology. The promising advertisements of tech companies spare out the fact, that the face, one of our most intimate, individual and cultural prominent human feature becomes reproducable, recognizable and therefore abuseable for those who will do harm.