Apple cuts accuracy of Face ID to get iPhone X to market on time

San Francisco

AS OF EARLY autumn, it was clearer than ever that production problems meant that Apple Inc would not have enough iPhone Xs in time for the holidays. The challenge was how to make the sophisticated phone - with advanced features such as facial recognition - in large enough numbers.

As Wall Street analysts and fan blogs watched for signs that the company would stumble, Apple came up with a solution: It quietly told suppliers that they could reduce the accuracy of the face-recognition technology to make it easier to manufacture, according to people familiar with the situation.