Apple Executives Address Lack of Face ID and Touchscreens on Macs

[chewbaka]

"more convenient on a laptop since your hands are already on the keyboard"

as if your face is anywhere but in front of the screen when you are using said laptop...

what a dumb excuse - plus if you are right handed your hand is likely on the mouse or trackpad when a Face ID prompt shows up, so it's actually less convenient to lift the hand and use the touch sensor.

I don’t think he meant that Touch ID is more convenient than Face ID on a laptop. I think he meant Touch ID is more convenient on a laptop than it is on a phone. He should’ve spoken more precisely, sure, but I don’t think he was trying to bullsh*t.

edit: wow that’s a sensitive obscenity detector.

 

[Mockletoy]

"We make the world's best touch computer on an iPad.

???

Spoken like someone who doesn't have much do do all day but surf the web, watch videos, and check emails that don't require dealing with complex attachments and stuff.

 

[performa_6400]

Adding a touchscreen to the mac is a non-starter. Steve Jobs addressed this years ago.

I can see a couple of issues on why Face ID isn't yet on the mac. Space and thickness needed for the components, and maybe lack of a consistent experience with clamshell mode and external monitors.

 

[boss.king]

What they mean is "we worry that if we put touchscreens on Macs, not as many people will buy iPads".

 

[dannyyankou]

MacBooks already have touch input. It's called a trackpad.

 

[anson42]

Face ID makes no sense on a laptop when the said laptop is on your lap who needs to bring their face to the display when your hands are already on the keyboard. It would be completely awkward

I disagree, Your Highness. Why seek out a single key at the top corner for TouchID when you can just look at the thing – which you are doing already – or brush the trackpad or touch any key? Small convenience but still a convenience. I'd use it over TouchID easily.

 

[svish]

Expecting FaceID during the next refresh of Macbook Pro or at least in a couple of years. About touch screen on a Mac, don't think it is happening anytime now

 

[boss.king]

Adding a touchscreen to the mac is a non-starter. Steve Jobs addressed this years ago.

I can see a couple of issues on why Face ID isn't yet on the mac. Space and thickness needed for the components, and maybe lack of a consistent experience with clamshell mode and external monitors.

Jobs also said 3.5 inches is the perfect size for a phone screen and that no one needs a stylus (read: Apple Pencil). Jobs was wrong about plenty of things.

 

[Dydegu]

Touch ID is better than Face ID. And I can’t imagine putting my fingers on my beautiful MBP screen. It’s not even ergonomic to touch a laptop screen.

 

[fbr$]

Touchscreen only makes sense on a notebook with detachable screen, and for that to happen the processor, RAM, SSD, USB-C ports, MagSafe port, HDMI port etc had to be placed inside the screen, I really don't want the MacBook Pro turning into a monster. And I also don't want FaceID on the MacBook Pro.

 

[Cyloncat]

I've had FaceID on my Surface Laptop for years. It identifies me as soon as I open the tablet, before I've had a chance to put my hands on the keyboard. It seems that Apple's decision makers have dismissed the idea out of hand, without even testing the possibility.

 

[840quadra]

I still strongly believe they had FaceID planned for these, but pulled it at the 11th hour, when it was too late to change screens or case design. Otherwise a hole punch or much smaller notch would make far more sense.

Notch doesn't bother me personally (I don't own one of these yet mind you), but it is a curious situation.

 

[MauiPa]

But the Touch ID is not near where your hands are you always have to move it up right to use it, faceid would be better and give us touch screen we want it

and how thick would you like the display exactly to accommodate faceID? I actually used a laptop with touch, the experience totally sucks. Trackpad is way better, more convenient, less taxing on hands, and doesn't smear the screen. Of course on windows, their trackpads totally suck, so I can see the desire.

And if you want ultimate convenience, get an Apple Watch. Oh yah, that is convenience for unlocking and Apple Pay

 

[hajime]

When I use the MBP, the screen and camera are already facing me. I don't even need to move my finger to activate Touch ID.

 

[MauiPa]

I've had FaceID on my Surface Laptop for years. It identifies me as soon as I open the tablet, before I've had a chance to put my hands on the keyboard. It seems that Apple's decision makers have dismissed the idea out of hand, without even testing the possibility.

you mean that easy to spoof abomination on windows? you do know the difference between 2D and #3D? Got a snap shot, open a windows computer

 

[bobbie424242]

Apple execs have always been experts at random excuse #42 to rationalize less than ideal stuff and bend them as a desirable feature.

 

[oneMadRssn]

It's to blatantly obvious the notch was sized so they could put in FaceID at some later time without needing to change the notch size when they do. This way the software wouldn't need to be re-optimized for the notch size again when that happens. When it will happen will depend on how quickly they run out of other features to add, and how the market reacts to this new notch design. So far I think the market is reacting positively, people are buying them. So I think FaceID in there is inevitable.

 

[GrumpyCoder]

Apple keynote 2025: "And here are the new Macbook Pros, Macbook Airs and iMacs, all coming with a touchscreen... we think you're going to love it".

Apple keynote 2030: "We're proud to announce we've discontinued all iPads and Macbooks, here's the new iBook Pad, with touchscreen and pencil support running a full version of iMacPadOS... we think you're going to love it".

 

[Roller]

Touch on a vertically-oriented screen isn't sound ergonomically. It's a bit better on a laptop than a desktop, but still less than ideal. It would make sense on a laptop with a screen that can be used flat or nearly so, but Apple's laptops don't do that.

As for Face ID, I wouldn't want my computer to unlock by just looking at it, since there are many times I don't want that to happen. I use my Apple Watch to unlock my iMacs, and they sometimes unlock when I don't want them to. But I'd love an Apple keyboard with Touch ID if that could be done.

 

[x-evil-x]

So adding all that extra space around the camera for no reason is a wonderful thing to do. Make it smaller.

 

[BobHinden]

I also don't think that Face ID is very useful on a laptop. A lot of the time when I use my laptop, it is on my desk next to an external monitor. Having to move over and look at the laptop to unlock would be awkward at best.

 

[JMacHack]

I say it’s an excuse, they probably had some sort of roadblock. Maybe they couldn’t get the camera to sense your face at every screen angle or something.

 

[carlhancock]

I'd love FaceID on the Mac also.

BUT something that seems to go unmentioned by those that are pro-FaceID is adding FaceID wouldn't eliminate the need for an additional keystroke (ex. the space bar) to unlock the Mac. There would still be a keystroke involved. You wouldn't simply look at your Mac and it would instantly unlock.

How do I know this? Because it's exactly how FaceID behaves on the iPad when using the available keyboard accessories. You still have to press the spacebar AND FaceID has to be able to pick up your face from whatever angle or distance you are looking at the display.

For that reason I can see why FaceID isn't a priority for them because TouchID handles all of this without worrying about how you are positioned relative to your display (distance, angle, etc.) with a single keystroke. FaceID would require a keystroke as well as the facial recognition scan.

Another thing that goes unmentioned is how this would work beyond unlocking your Mac. When using Apple Pay for instance. With TouchID it's as simple as resting your finger on the TouchID button. With FaceID if it's like other devices it would still require additional input beyond FaceID to approve the payment. You wouldn't want payments approved with FaceID alone and without additional input of some sort as that would create the potential for unintentional payments. So again TouchID does this with a single keystroke and without requiring both a facial recognition scan and a keystroke.

So while i'd like FaceID on my Mac there are clearly reasons why they haven't done so. And no it's not just about profit margins. The UX has a lot to do with it.

 

[anthogag]

It would be nice to use Apple Pencil with a Mac. Writing or drawing on a larger Magic Pad type device.

 

[Jeroen]

Touch ID is better on a laptop.

• You walk up to your laptop and need to wake it anyway before the Face ID would scan. Thus you might as well just hit the Touch ID button to wake it up.
• When I walk op to my laptop to wake it I am usually still upright with my laptop on the desk... good luck getting Face ID to scan my face then. How annoying would it be to have to position your face in front of the screen every time?
• A lot of people use their MacBooks in clamshell mode, with an external display attached. The external displays won't have Face ID... but your external Apple keyboard does have Touch ID.

The people who complain about having to "hunt" for a "specific" button on their keyboard because "their hands are not there"? What kind of reasoning is that? It holds no water at all.

All of this is moot anyway if you use the one true way to wake up your computer, and that's with an Apple Watch.