Facial recognition is failing to work properly on Apple's first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, when users try to obtain KB Kookmin Bank's mobile certificate, according to industry sources. The glitch is believed to stem from a compatibility problem between the new handset and financial applications, and some customers are being forced to visit bank branches in person to get their certificates issued.
Some customers attempting to issue a KB Kookmin certificate through the KB Star Banking app on the iPhone Duo cannot complete the authentication process because of facial recognition errors, financial industry sources said on the 27th. When the camera captures a user's face, a message instructing them to remove their mask and try again appears repeatedly, preventing them from moving to the next step.
Complaints have piled up on online communities since the iPhone Duo launched on the 23rd. "I tried 30 times," one user wrote. Another said, "I gave up after more than 20 attempts." Some users reported that authentication succeeds if they hold the phone upside down while capturing their face.
Kookmin Bank's call center is directing affected customers to alternative authentication methods that require a branch visit. "We are receiving similar inquiries and understand the problem occurs only on a specific model," a call center official said. "One option is to visit a branch with your ID and obtain a one-time application number."
Kookmin Bank is investigating the cause. It is examining the possibility that the new device's camera specifications or image processing differ from earlier models, creating a compatibility issue during authentication. "We have secured a device and are running tests, but the exact cause has not yet been identified," a Kookmin Bank official said. "We expect to resolve the problem within this week by acting as quickly as possible."
On the day the iPhone Duo was released, some financial apps including KB Star Banking also failed to make full use of the foldable display. Black margins appeared on both sides of the screen when the apps launched, a sign that optimization was incomplete.
This is not the first time authentication problems have surfaced in financial apps after a new smartphone launch. On the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, released last month, devices repeatedly froze or rebooted after Face ID authentication failed, a phenomenon sometimes called a crash-and-reboot loop (a kernel panic). Apple later fixed the error through an operating system update.
In 2019, a security flaw on Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S10 and Note 10 allowed unregistered fingerprints to unlock the devices, prompting Korean banks to restrict fingerprint authentication and direct customers to other methods. In 2017, when Apple released the iPhone X with Face ID for the first time, some banks withheld the feature from mobile banking transactions over security concerns before adopting it in stages.
The core issue is that because financial services require identity verification, any failure by a mobile app to support a new device disrupts customers' transactions. "When a new smartphone is released, we have to check compatibility with existing financial apps and carry out optimization work if needed," an official at a commercial bank said. "A new design can add development costs, but with most customers using mobile banking, responding is unavoidable."