THE Apple iPhone X is “years” ahead of its Android competitors, it has been claimed.

A celebrated Apple expert called Ming-Chi Kuo said that the gadget’s advanced facial recognition system would not be matched on Android phones for up to two and a half years.

The X features a system called Face ID which unlocks the device by scanning its owner’s face.

It is particularly clever because it uses Apple’s TrueDepth camera to scan the face in three dimensions, making it significantly more secure than competing models which only use 2D images and can be fooled by showing the phone a picture of its owner’s lovely mug.

Kuo is quoted as saying that this system is so far ahead of the competition that it could prompt Android lovers to become iPhone users.

He also reportedly claimed that the production process required to build the X was very tricky, meaning that Apple may not be able to build enough smartphones to match sky-high demand.

This could mean that people who don’t preorder the gadget will have to wait weeks or even months to get their hands on one.

But according to the reliable Apple website 9to5Mac, Kuo said the “outlook for 2018-2019 iPhone growth is still positive”.

It wrote: “He adds an estimate that Android devices are now likely 1.5-2.5 years behind Apple when it comes to matching its TrueDepth camera experience.

“If this pans out, this could put Apple in a better position to continue its iPhone growth by giving users more reason to switch from Android.”

Click here for our guide to the iPhone X, which is released on November 3.

This article originally appeared on The Sun.