If a new report is to be believed, Samsung and other Android phone makers would need more time to catch up with Apple's pretty advanced 3D-sensing technology that the Cupertino giant debuted with last year's iPhone X. Tim Cook's company is said to have secured a two-year lead when it comes to this technology, so Apple's rivals won't likely be capable of duplicating Face ID until next year. Reuters reported Tuesday that most Android phone makers will have to wait until 2019 before they could be able to deliver a technology that's up to par with Apple's 3D-sensing, which is powering the Face ID security feature of the iPhone X. This is seen as a setback on the Android manufacturers' end because 3D-sensing technology is expected to be worth billions in revenue in the next few years. Reuters obtained data from parts suppliers, and the publication feels that Huawei and Xiaomi will be among the Android brands that will be capable of matching Apple's 3D-sensing next year. This is because 3D-sensing parts suppliers will be capable of reaching production levels for worldwide adoption by that time.

One of Apple's suppliers may have just confirmed the idea that the Cupertino giant could be bringing its 3D-sensing technology to other products outside of its iPhones. Win Semiconductors, Apple's sole supplier of laser components for the Face ID system on the iPhone X, has apparently announced that it is increasing its capital expenditure due to the rising demand for 3D-sensing applications for smartphones and other devices. In a recent interview with Nikkei Asian Review, Win Semiconductors chief executive Wang Yu-Chi revealed that the company is significantly increasing its capital expenditure this 2018 to meet the surging demand for 3D sensors for smartphones and other electronic devices. "We will at least more than double our capital expenditure in 2018 to meet expanding uses of 3D-sensing features in various devices," Wang said. The mention of "various devices" somehow corroborates Bloomberg's report late last year that Apple is debuting new iPads that do not sport the home button.