Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich Face Recognition Unlock Fooled By Picture

Androids next incarnation ICS boasts a cool new face recognition unlock feature. This allows the user to set a face as the unlock method of gaining access to the handset.

In theory this sounds great! No one has your face so how could they unlock your phone if they get ahold of it. Well the first downside to this feature is that it failed on testing when Google and Samsung were announcing the Galaxy nexus. That was a brilliant start.

And it has just came to our attention that Tech blogger SoyaCincau has been able to use a saved digital photo on his Galaxy Note (with the Super AMOLED HD screen), to unlock the Galaxy Nexus he has demonstrated it three times in the video below.

This shows us a couple of things and not all of them are bad.  First off it shows the quality of the Galaxy Notes display, it is phenomenal that a piece of software designed to read the pattern of your face can read an image off of a display.

The Face to unlock feature is more of a novelty feature than an necessity, it is something designed for people who don’t use an unlock feature. You still get the option for the pattern or pin lock. So the fact that this is not a full proof method of securing your phone it is a simple security feature that will enhance your experience.

Ice Cream Sandwich will debut on the Galaxy nexus due to be released this month in USA,  it will be LTE enabled to use the 4G network available in the states, shortly after we will get a HSPA+ version hitting Europe and the UK.

Other manufacturers are due to start releasing ICS using handsets early next year, and there is a long list of devices that should get the update to Google’s new OS

Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.