Pocophone F1 update brings Face Unlock in Bangladesh, Spain, France, and more

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The new Poco subsidiary from Xiaomi is quite interesting and it follows some of the other large companies that we see all around the world (not just in the smartphone industry). The new company recently released the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 with amazing specs at the initial price point. It’s as if they took a similar approach to what OnePlus did with the OnePlus One. If you own the Pocophone F1 and currently live in Bangladesh, Spain, France, and some other locations then you should look forward to a new OTA update that adds in the popular face unlock feature.

Xiaomi’s new sub-brand, Poco, can be looked at similarly to how Huawei has the sub-brand Honor. They are technically considered subsidiaries. These additional sub-brands for phones are popular in China, as even Oppo and Vivo are technically subsidiaries of a parent company called BBK Electronics. Each company lets their subsidiaries operate in their own unique way, but at the end of the day, these sub-brands are all under the same roof as their parent company.

The Pocophone F1 even uses Xiaomi’s MIUI OEM ROM and those in select areas should be looking for a new OTA update right now that comes with build number v9.6.22.0.OEJMIFD. There are a number of changes (additions, optimizations, and a removal) but the headlining feature is the inclusion of a face unlock feature for those in Poland, France, Spain, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. This face unlock feature does not use 3D structured light in order to authenticate the user.

Instead, it’s similar to the solution that OnePlus offers, but it also uses the IR sensor to enhance face detection in low light conditions. While this new face unlock feature may not be as secure as what is offered on the iPhone or Xiaomi Mi 8 EE, it is better than most of the competition.