Face ID Unlocks an iPhone More Slowly Than Touch ID, but is Faster in Day-to-Day Usage

[kstotlani]

OMG people just stop already. And watch a real video that isn’t artificially comparing one vs. the other using a stop watch or whatever.

This is just implementation. What if Apple gives us an option of keeping your notifications on the screen after you unlock with Touch ID. Right now it goes to the home screen but if it stayed on the notifications page then Touch ID would be faster because you would have unlocked the phone even before looking at the phone.

 

[Skoal]

Sounds like possible excuses, but I’ll wait to see the results.

Excuses for what?

 

[Skoal]

but I thought that this is supposed to be the best and fastest iPhone yet

It is

 

[lordofthereef]

As it stands I never tap a notification because of exactly what is in that twitter video. This will be a welcome change and I will have to change the way I see/use notifitcations.
[doublepost=1509584681][/doublepost]

Dude, are you for real? Seriously? You compare the front door of your home with a mobile device you got at your hand or pocket?

You didn’t answer my questions earlier. What is your issue with an unlocked phone at your hand or at your desk? Really! What you afraid of? Someone grabbing it an running away? If someone wants to grab your phone and run they would do it regardless of it being locked or unlocked.

I swear, some people would look for issues and when they can’t find one, they would fantasise one.

In my hanbd, literally nothing. On my desk, a whole lot, because I will probbly walk away and leave it there at some point. In fact, this happens regularly lol.

Not responding to argue. Just answering the question you posed.
[doublepost=1509585152][/doublepost]

The Samsung Iris Scanner is a joke to use, you have to line up your eyes to the circles on the screen and also the light that's emitted is annoying. With Face ID you don't have to line up so precisely and it's looks like a much smoother and slicker interface. I'll find out for sure on Friday. What I am sure though is that the Iris Scanner isn't very practical to use every time. I know it's got Touch ID too but it's on the back and that's not great either.

I actually find a well placed fingerprint scanner on the back of a phone to be rather great, better even than the home button. I agree with the rest of your points though. The iris scanning deal is definitely half baked.

 

[Rigby]

What I dread the most about Face ID is potentially losing the simplicity of Apple Pay in the store (just hold the phone to the POS terminal without any further action being required), and possibly not being able to unlock the phone easily when it's in a dashboard mount in a car. Has any of the early reviewers tested the angles and distances where Face ID stops working?

 

[oneMadRssn]

I’m only 70 so I still am thrilled by the latest and greatest.

I hope to regain that by that age.

 

[840quadra]

This is a non issue.

The 5s actually got faster after some Touch ID patches came out after it was released. Speed went up, and failure rate went down. I still have my 2013 5s in very active duty.

Regardless, we are talking about some really picky timing here. Looking forward to passing my own judgement on FaceID.

 

[BruinPharmD]

I was wondering about this. The iPhones with Touch ID has the secure enclave which does the processing of the finger print, a separate processor. But the iPhone X does not have that second processor. Everything is done by the main processor I believe, if so then I do think the speed is variable and not fixed.

iPhone X has a Secure Enclave too as part of the coprocessor I believe. It’s not different than Touch ID in that regard.

 

[forerunnerg34]

FaceID is going to be a resounding, industry-changing hit.

it is not new on cell phones, the difference is that with Apple you are forced to use it. For every sold device, is a face ID "hit"

 

[ke-iron]

iPhone X has a Secure Enclave too as part of the coprocessor I believe. It’s not different than Touch ID in that regard.

Then I take back what I say about it being able to get faster over time. I thought it was part of the beastly main processor. I think the only reason Touch ID 2 got faster was because of an upgraded coprocessor. I think I’ll be fine with Face ID, it’s fast enough.

 

[anoobis]

This is silly.

Raise to wake is the suggested way, but I don't have to pick up my phone to unlock with TouchID. So...

Factor in the time to pick up a phone from a desk for FaceID, and TouchID is wayyyy faster even for opening a notification. With TouchID on a phone not in my hand with the screen off, lightly press and release the home button and you are on an unlocked lock screen. Tap the notification.

A user would be lucky to pick up a phone off a desk in that time.

Having to pick up my phone every time I want to open a notification is a really inefficient usage paradigm.

And, I will cut off somebody all charged up to reply, since I know MacRumors posters - NO, a user is not going to pick up his/her phone anyways to type a reply to a notification. Plenty of notifications can be opened and be useful without requiring the user to input some text in response to the notification.
[doublepost=1509595983][/doublepost]

Raise phone to wake.

It’s already unlocked because I will be looking at it.

Swipe up to go to home screen.

Not really any slower than pushing down on a home button (since you will be raising the phone to your face to use it anyways).

That said, am I the only one whose realizes that you'll be swiping right on whatever notification has come up as Face ID is recognising you. Once it does, you'll be put right into whatever app had the notification.

This is 2-3 times faster than Touch ID. With which you have to swipe the notification, THEN place finger on button; or vice versa, to be placed into the app. Face Id eliminates an entire step or more if you just go to home screen THEN into the app that had the notification.

Damn, now my 8+ sounds old.

Is it quicker to grab a phone, pick it up, point the front to your face, and wait for verification, or simply press a button?

You don't have to pick up a TouchID phone to unlock it. If you wake a FaceID phone by pressing a button, you've spent the same time as TouchID unlock but you still haven't unlocked the phone.
[doublepost=1509596409][/doublepost]

Remember kids, Face ID is not simply a replacement for touch ID. It’s going to be able to do a lot more. If it also is more convenient to unlock your phone, that’s just going to be a bonus. By the way, I also think it’s better at unlocking your phone than Touch ID in real application.

Real application? How about my phone is at angle, 1-2 ft away from me on my desk or couch? Like it right now. I'm not even in the front camera's view but am in arm's length.

Some people don't have the ability to think of real world use cases so they think FaceID is some panacea...go along with whatever Apple tells you is best. I prefer to think on my own.

 

[BvizioN]

As it stands I never tap a notification because of exactly what is in that twitter video. This will be a welcome change and I will have to change the way I see/use notifitcations.
[doublepost=1509584681][/doublepost]
In my hanbd, literally nothing. On my desk, a whole lot, because I will probbly walk away and leave it there at some point. In fact, this happens regularly lol.

Not responding to argue. Just answering the question you posed..

Fine. But you should know that it only shows your messages when you have eye contact with it. You move away from your desk, it should be nothing of a concern, phone locks back like all smartphones do when you don't interact with them.

 

[KingslayerG5]

This is silly.

Raise to wake is the suggested way, but I don't have to pick up my phone to unlock with TouchID. So...

Factor in the time to pick up a phone from a desk for FaceID, and TouchID is wayyyy faster even for opening a notification. With TouchID on a phone not in my hand with the screen off, lightly press and release the home button and you are on an unlocked lock screen. Tap the notification.

A user would be lucky to pick up a phone off a desk in that time.

Having to pick up my phone every time I want to open a notification is a really inefficient usage paradigm.

And, I will cut off somebody all charged up to reply, since I know MacRumors posters - NO, a user is not going to pick up his/her phone anyways to type a reply to a notification. Plenty of notifications can be opened and be useful without requiring the user to input some text in response to the notification.
[doublepost=1509595983][/doublepost]

Is it quicker to grab a phone, pick it up, point the front to your face, and wait for verification, or simply press a button?

You don't have to pick up a TouchID phone to unlock it. If you wake a FaceID phone by pressing a button, you've spent the same time as TouchID unlock but you still haven't unlocked the phone.
[doublepost=1509596409][/doublepost]

Real application? How about my phone is at angle, 1-2 ft away from me on my desk or couch? Like it right now. I'm not even in the front camera's view but am in arm's length.

Some people don't have the ability to think of real world use cases so they think FaceID is some panacea...go along with whatever Apple tells you is best. I prefer to think on my own.

Michael Fisher seems to agree with you. It seems to get worse and less convenient as time goes by.

 

[CB1234]

Threads like these make me laugh. People justifying their positions "cuz reasons". It literally doesn't matter which is faster. The difference in unlock time is inconsequential. It's not like it's going to save time or anything. Please, for the love of Mike don't be that guy who replies with, "Well Mustang, over a year's time, you actually do save a cumulative..."

Or be that guy. But do me the kindness of showing me your "time bag" where you're saving partial seconds. Face ID will probably function fine... as fine as Touch ID did. Those who want Touch ID can get iP8, which if Apple operates as usual, will be available and for sale for at least 2-3 more years.

Please don't be that guy 'voice of reason' !!! It is quite fun watching people bickering over 0.9 and 1.2 seconds unlocking times, if true!!

These very same people will waste 100x more time arguing about it on forums, then the actual amount of time they will save using either TouchID or FaceID...

 

[BvizioN]

I dispair, I really do......

I honestly don't meant to argue with you or anything. I genuinely wanted to know why do you see it as an issue the device being unlocked while at your possession. That's all. It is a forum board after all and is perfectly fine to not agree with each other.

 

[JamesMay82]

I must admit I don't see how its going to be more practical than the Touch ID. More so because your never able to look perfectly at your phone.

Middle of the night or morning when your face is buried in your pillow and you have a quick surf while resting your hand on the bedside table etc or if your in a meeting at work and you sneakily look at your phone under the table.

I actually just bought the iPhone8 + but only because my 6s broke and to be honest aside from the better camera I don't really notice that much of a difference in day to day use.

I'm also suspicious about the reviewers who've only been allowed the phone for 24 hours of testing.. seems a bit strange if you ask me.

 

[Elijen]

Except it does.

Can you explain how you can do something faster using a tool that is actually slower?

 

[Zebraman83]

FaceID is going to be a resounding, industry-changing hit.

Unless your outside and the sun shines in your face.
Then it will try to unlock you iphone 3 times then you will have to put your password to unlock the phone.

Good luck opening your phone on a sunny day while driving
[doublepost=1509618139][/doublepost]

when sitting at work, my iPhone is on the desk in front of me. Presumably faceID will be faster because it will always see me and be unlocked, vs. me having to reach for the home button.

You still have to touch the phone and swipe up so what's your point?
[doublepost=1509618549][/doublepost]

They both use invisible near-infrared but nice try.

The iris scanner on the galaxy s8 is more accurate than face id. No two people in the world have the same irises. Your twin can't unlock the S8 but they can on the iPhone.
Lest say your at the snow and you have a scarf covering your face then you can't unlock your iPhone X but you could unlock the S8 because it only needs to see your iris

 

[djcerla]

Unless your outside and the sun shines in your face.
Then it will try to unlock you iphone 3 times then you will have to put your password to unlock the phone.

I will surely try and report back tomorrow. By the way, no other reviewer than Nilay Patel experienced that (and judging by his video it's clear why), and someone even spent a full day shooting at Disnayland open air.

The iris scanner on the galaxy s8 is more accurate than face id.

it's comedy hour

 

[Abazigal]

Is it quicker to grab a phone, pick it up, point the front to your face, and wait for verification, or simply press a button?

You don't have to pick up a TouchID phone to unlock it. If you wake a FaceID phone by pressing a button, you've spent the same time as TouchID unlock but you still haven't unlocked the phone.

It shouldn’t make any difference in the end. If you are in a position to look at the contents on your screen, Face ID is likely in a position to scan your face and unlock your phone.

Not to mention the improved speed of interacting with notifications now that you don’t have to authenticate with Touch ID.

For every scenario that Touch ID might be faster, it seems there is at least one other scenario in which Face ID is superior.

I feel it’s a net gain overall.

 

[cmaier]

Unless your outside and the sun shines in your face.

[doublepost=1509618139][/doublepost]
You still have to touch the phone and swipe up so what's your point?
[doublepost=1509618549][/doublepost]

My point is that if I’m using the phone There are two possibilities.

1) I need to use it by touching. (Tapping swiping etc). In that cAse, in the scenario I give, i now have to do nothing. As soon as I interact with the phone it is already unlocked. So no worse than touchid, and arguably better.

2) I don’t need to touch. (Eg use Siri, or read a notification, etc). In that case your point is wrong.

 

[jaredpetersen]

But the phone is unlocked regardless of whether you swipe up or not? That's my issue.

Doesn't it just re-lock as soon as the display goes back to sleep though? I've got my phone set to do that now. The timeout is immediate.

 

[MrGuder]

Well remember I said to save that prior article...just watch..the next iPhone X next year will tout face id 2.0 Apple will market...twice as fast as last yrs model.

 

[adrianlondon]

Is there a way to look at the iPhone X without unlocking it, like there is with a TouchID-enabled device?

Don't swipe up.

(I'm guessing.)

 

[convergent]

It shouldn’t make any difference in the end. If you are in a position to look at the contents on your screen, Face ID is likely in a position to scan your face and unlock your phone.

Not to mention the improved speed of interacting with notifications now that you don’t have to authenticate with Touch ID.

For every scenario that Touch ID might be faster, it seems there is at least one other scenario in which Face ID is superior.

I feel it’s a net gain overall.

For every scenario that FaceID works better, there is one that it would have been better with TouchID. You are wrong about your face being "likely in a position to scan your face". Here are a few common ones that its largely impossible to do so.

- At the gym with your iPhone strapped to your upper arm or hip. I see numerous people doing this every trip to the gym. It will be impossible for them to unlock with FaceID unless they have "go go gadget neck".
- In a theater when you have your phone under your coat and want to unlock it to check something by just glancing under the goat.
- While in a meeting when you are wanting to be discreet and check something while holding it under the table.
- At night when you want to do something with the phone laying on the nightstand without picking it up... a number of things I do with muscle memory when I'm half asleep. Holding the phone in front of your face with the bright screen would be "awakening".
- Unlocking it while pulling it out of your pocket.
- Paying with ApplePay "discretely". You'll now have to hold it up in front of your face to pay.

I will give it to Apple though, with the notch and everyone having to hold the phone up in front of their face, they are going to have the X be very noticed in day to day use.