Apple Executives Address Lack of Face ID and Touchscreens on Macs

El Szomorito said:
Uhm... magic keyboard.

:D
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Is magic keyboard what is being discussed here? No.
Tom Boger's comments are regarding the built-in MacBook keyboard.

Also, Apple doesn't design MacBooks with external-keyboard users in mind. Let alone clamshell users...
Amazing that some users in this thread think otherwise.
 
Personally, I could take or leave FaceID on a Macbook. It's not a feature that would make or break my experience with a Macbook.
 
mansplains said:
If using macs with displays clamshell-style were more of a thing I could see FaceID being less useful, but TouchID isn't useful then either. I'm surprised how long it took for external keyboards to have TouchID, I switched to MX Keys for my iMac anyway though.
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But they do make external keyboards with TouchID now (finally). There's no indication (aside from user's hopes) that they will ever make an external display with FaceID. If they'd get around to updating the "Magic Keyboard with Touch ID for Mac models with Apple silicon" (that's a mouthful) to have a proper inverted-T arrow key arrangement, I'd cheerfully buy one.

(The current arrangement, with full height left and right arrows is prettier, to their design folk, I suppose, but is objectively harder to type on - it takes more time/effort to tell, without looking, that one's fingers are aligned on the arrow keys correctly.)
 
MedRed said:
I don't use the touchscreen on my work laptop. I don't want one on my Mac. Also, I called it on the faceid. The notch isn't a faceid placeholder. It's simply the required space for the array of sensors and such packaged with the camera.
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Let's bet on it. FaceID on the new Macs in 3 years or less.
 
FaceID on the mac seems like a nicety, but I can respect the reasoning that TouchID is probably sufficient. Especially with new external keyboard support. The two systems were either/or on the phones for decent reasons. If they ever get TouchID on the lock-button and face-id behind the display, I wouldn't mind having options depending on the environmental situation.
 
Cost thing would be my guess, margins would be too low without opening the price but I'd say that's not an option for now.
 
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Kylo83 said:
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
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GOD FORBID YOU HAVE TO BURN A COUPLE CALORIES.

I only unlock my Mac when I sit in front of it and that takes a full second. You don’t need an entire camera component that they will no doubt jack the computer’s price up for just so you don’t have to move your hand a few inches.

Oh no I have to MOVE MY HAND UP AND TO THE RIGHT.

Some Apple fanatics are walking, talking caricatures.

PS you don’t need a camera on Apple Watch, either.
 
I can do without FaceID, but I’d like to be able to capture face maps. I guess as long as they can get the iOS device to work with the MBP to easy bring over the meshes, that’d be ok.
 
Face ID on a MacBook might be more annoying than we realize.

Right now I click one button and the computer unlocks. Easy.

Face ID would require you still to hit a button otherwise the computer would unlock anytime you look at it. I think people are complaining just to complain and haven’t thought about what the FaceID reality would actually be.
 
MedRed said:
I don't use the touchscreen on my work laptop. I don't want one on my Mac. Also, I called it on the faceid. The notch isn't a faceid placeholder. It's simply the required space for the array of sensors and such packaged with the camera.
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Until Apple includes FaceID and removes TouchID on the Mac and then the verbiage tone will shift. It happens all the time, wash-rinse-repeat.

Touchscreen, I am not sure how practical it is as even an iPad with the trackpad option for which I prefer not to raise my arm to reach and interact with screen elements. Trackpad is far more convenient in laptop/desktop mode. Using it without the keyboard and trackpad then I can see touchscreen bring useful on a laptop with a bolted keyboard not so convenient.
 
cable said:
Face ID on a MacBook might be more annoying than we realize.

Right now I click one button and the computer unlocks. Easy.

Face ID would require you still to hit a button otherwise the computer would unlock anytime you look at it. I think people are complaining just to complain and haven’t thought about what the FaceID reality would actually be.
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FaceID on my iPad Pro with my keyboard and trackpad works rather well, not sure why you are complaining for the sake of complaining to not include it or replace TouchID on a Mac laptop.
 
stocklen said:
The Mac is TOO FAR away from your face to work... I mean, just try an iPad Pro at arms length and you'll see what I mean. You'll be prompted to move it closer.
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That's a good point. But with my iPhone 13 Pro Max, I can unlock it using FaceID at full arms length quite readily. If I put my MBP on my desk in front of me, the top of the screen with notch is also arms length away. Possibly more if you move the MBP further away or tilt the screen back more. In other words, the current FaceID in the test I just tried would work just fine in the MBP. That doesn't invalidate your point though, as FaceID would need to word from greater distances as well.
 
FaceID on an iPhone unlocks the device, but all other uses require double-clicking the side button to confirm. That makes a ton of sense, you don't want something getting authorized before you can react to it simply because it saw your face.

On the laptop, how would you confirm a FaceID interaction? By pressing a button. So if you're pressing a button already, it might as well be a TouchID reader.

That only leaves unlocking the laptop itself, and is that enough of a use case to warrant having the hardware? There's TouchID, Apple Watch unlock, and typing your password.
 
That FaceID argument from the Apple guy is a non-starter.

If TouchID is supposedly the better option for a laptop because your hands are already on it, then surely that applies to phones too - most of the time you hold a phone, yet the newer mid range and flagship iphones have only had FaceID.

Also with a laptop you look at the screen MORE than you use the keyboard so surely FaceID is the better option using his argument?

Apple really missed a beat having a notch and not having FaceID alongside the webcam.
 
Your Royal Highness said:
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
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TouchID requires you to move your hand significantly, FaceID would just be seamlessly checking that you are still using your own laptop. Any implementation for laptop/desktop would work at a 3ft+ range to accommodate normal viewing distances. I would actually use FaceID if they had it as an option, and would upgrade my new 16" at a huge loss if it came out next year.
 
anson42 said:
That's a good point. But with my iPhone 13 Pro Max, I can unlock it using FaceID at full arms length quite readily. If I put my MBP on my desk in front of me, the top of the screen with notch is also arms length away. Possibly more if you move the MBP further away or tilt the screen back more. In other words, the current FaceID in the test I just tried would work just fine in the MBP. That doesn't invalidate your point though, as FaceID would need to word from greater distances as well.
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I presume you have not used FaceID on an iPad. It’s works at some extreme angles and at arms length distance away which may give it a slight edge over TouchID if not on par.

This is just Apple double talk/speak for its will be added in the future but not now so take our word for it that what we offer your today of for your benefit.
 
velcrovan said:
Honestly touch ID is better. Not sure what everyone's whining about.
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Personally I love the touchid and I also know others will have a different opinion. I just got a 16” M1 Max and it’s the first laptop I have ever had with that. It’s, to me, neat as all get out. The touchscreen is a big fat No, but only my opinion.
 
"more convenient because your hands are already on the keyboard" is such a stupid take I don't even know what to say about that, other than that your face is probably in front of the display if you're using the device, and you don't need to move your hands at all to use that.

Anyone that's used Windows Hello can tell you that FaceID on the Mac would just be better than a fingerprint reader for a useability perspective, especially if you make it available to use by 3rd party apps as well.

Having owned two touchscreen laptops over the last 5 years, I can count on a single hand the number of times I've actually used the touchscreen, so I'm glad they're still holding out on that. Touchscreens on a laptop are ergonomically terrible, and actually do require you to take your hands off the keyboard / trackpad to use, and desktop OS widgets are too bloody small to accurately tap with a meaty finger anyway.

Add FaceID please, but the touchscreen can stay in the domain of "value adds" for Dell, HP, Lenovo, etc. because it's a terrible user experience.
 
NewBench said:
That FaceID argument from the Apple guy is a non-starter.

If TouchID is supposedly the better option for a laptop because your hands are already on it, then surely that applies to phones too - most of the time you hold a phone, yet the newer mid range and flagship iphones have only had FaceID.

Also with a laptop you look at the screen MORE than you use the keyboard so surely FaceID is the better option using his argument?

Apple really missed a beat having a notch and not having FaceID alongside the webcam.
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I really think it was a supply chain issue. I think this design was supposed to have FaceID and they had to scrap it. They can't say that though, or they'll Osborne themselves and hurt sales of the clearly inferior TouchID model. It will work, I bought a new MacBook Pro for myself for the first time in almost a decade and would likely buy one again next year if it had FaceID.
 
Devnul0 said:
FaceID on an iPhone unlocks the device, but all other uses require double-clicking the side button to confirm. That makes a ton of sense, you don't want something getting authorized before you can react to it simply because it saw your face.

On the laptop, how would you confirm a FaceID interaction? By pressing a button. So if you're pressing a button already, it might as well be a TouchID reader.

That only leaves unlocking the laptop itself, and is that enough of a use case to warrant having the hardware? There's TouchID, Apple Watch unlock, and typing your password.
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Wel there are options that Apple can incorporate for the Max such as double tap or click the trackpad or click the option button twice, just putting out possible solutions. Nothing is impossible in this regards these are just corporate double speak to not disclose future plans and direction.
 
joshdammit said:
GOD FORBID YOU HAVE TO BURN A COUPLE CALORIES.

I only unlock my Mac when I sit in front of it and that takes a full second. You don’t need an entire camera component that they will no doubt jack the computer’s price up for just so you don’t have to move your hand a few inches.

Oh no I have to MOVE MY HAND UP AND TO THE RIGHT.

Some Apple fanatics are walking, talking caricatures.

PS you don’t need a camera on Apple Watch, either.
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By the same logic you don't NEED an entire camera component for Face ID on an iPhone...

The camera component would potentially have more uses, you know?
 
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