Apple IPhoneX Has Poor Sales: People Don't Like Facial Recognition

Apple's new IPhoneX has hit a bit of a wall in regards to sales. Apple's consumer research department says that the reasons consumers mention most for the sales drop are "my old phone works fine" and "I'm nervous about our current economic situation." But could it really be that people aren't interested in the facial recognition the IPhoneX uses to "lock" and "unlock" the phone?

While Apple markets the phone as having extra security, former NSA analyst Edward Snowden believes there are major concerns. If facial recognition is used as part of government surveillance efforts, which has long been a concern of privacy advocates, the constitution will become nothing more than a symbol. While the technology could be used to identify suspected terrorists, the American Civil Liberties Union worries that systems used for surveillance purposes could become increasingly invasive over time.

"Once installed, this kind of a surveillance system rarely remains confined to its original purpose," according to the ACLU. "New ways of using it suggest themselves, the authorities or operators find them to be an irresistible expansion of their power, and citizens' privacy suffers another blow. Ultimately, the threat is that widespread surveillance will change the character, feel, and quality of American life."

Despite this, the Apple core did the usual rounds of hyping up the “revolutionary” IPhoneX, which launched in September. In the three months to December 2017, Apple sales fell by 3 million units…..during the Christmas season. Then in January, sales fell by a further 1%.

The numbers tell a story, and consumers don't like this phone. Many variables play into this, but facial recognition appears to be an unpopular feature, and might be contributing to this phones sales slump.