According to CNBC’s report, Apple will be making a $390 million investment into Finisar, w ho for those unfamiliar is the company responsible for helping to make Face ID happen, along with Animoji and Portrait mode for selfies, thanks to the company’s vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSEL) tech.
With Apple’s investment in the company, Finisar is expected to transform a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Sherman, Texas into a facility to help produce more VCSEL components. According to Apple Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams, “VCSELs power some of the most sophisticated technology we’ve ever developed and we’re thrilled to partner with Finisar over the next several years to push the boundaries of VCSEL technology and the applications they enable.”
While we expect that Face ID is expected to find its way into future iPhones, the investment and expansion of Finisar’s production capabilities could also hint at the tech finding its way into other Apple products as well, such as iPads, and who knows, maybe Mac computers in the future.