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I'm so tired of this trope. I believe Apple does a great job keeping older hardware up to snuff. My partner is still happily using her SE 2016, on iOS 15. Though they really fell down on the messaging (in a very consumer-unfriendly way), implementing the performance limitations when the phone sensed battery degradation was a great move to get more life out of older phones.
Apple paid 113M for deliberately slowing phones via updates...I agree they are better than the average company when it comes to this. But lets be honest, the iPhone X and up should have no problem processing faceid with a mask. It doesn't take extra processing power to measure FEWER points on your face.
 
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Okay, if that were true, then why does Apple have by far the best post-purchase software support and upgrades of any major electronics company? They don't really have to support their older devices, but they do.

The feature is likely gated by a hardware limitation, or didn't provide acceptable performance on older devices (which is a perfectly acceptable reason too).
I agree their post purchase software support is good and one of the best. While using a mask, there are fewer data points for FaceID to measure so it should theoretically be less processor/hardware intensive. That said, I'm not an expert in IT so i could be wrong. I do know Apple has a legal obligation to its shareholders to increase profit and releasing features only for new phones is a good way to get people to upgrade.
 
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Apple paid 113M for deliberately slowing phones via updates...I agree they are better than the average company when it comes to this. But lets be honest, the iPhone X and up should have no problem processing faceid with a mask. It doesn't take extra processing power to measure FEWER points on your face.
They had good intentions though. Apple figured that rather than having their devices cut out and lose charge rapidly, they throttled the power on tap to try and balance the scale a little.

They weren't sued for doing that, they were sued for not being transparent about it. It's why we have a "battery health" feature, and an option to toggle it off.

I agree they're post purchase software support is good and one of the best. While using a mask, there are fewer data points for FaceID to measure so it should theoretically be less processor/hardware intensive. [...]
It's really just speculation at this point. For example, the FaceID sensor may still capture the face mask, so more compute power is required to figure out and discount this area of the data, and appropriately verify the remaining facial data that it can gather.

Apple still sell the iPhone 11, so having another selling point against other handsets in a very competitive price point would only be an advantage.

Sit back and watch as jailbreak developers release a tweak to enable this function for all FaceID devices, for free.
And compromise the security / integrity of the device, or have to wait for several seconds while it computes the algorithm... no thanks!

I'm sure the pre-iPhone 12 handsets can support the feature, but there will be a cost to it, more than likely performance.

It's funny you could point out things that I would point out, and we would have opposite reactions! Takes all types, right?

I really hope the muscle memory kicks in. I have had my 13 mini for only three weeks or so, so not long. I'm in Minneapolis, but I guess the gloves thing hasn't bothered me. But interesting you find the "manual" feel a downside...I consider it an upside! I feel more in control of the transaction. And I felt that feeling for the button was more natural and intuitive than getting the swipe from the bottom right. But I'll be glad to feel silly about that in a couple of months, if I get used to it!

EDIT: As for Apple Pay, I find reaching for the side button and double-pressing way less friendly than just resting my thumb on the home button. But again, muscle memory. I do have an Apple Watch, so I use that now instead...but I just loved the feel of doing it with Touch ID.
Of course, everyone is different, have their own opinions, and are fully entitled to voice them :)

It did take me some time to get used to the gestures, but honestly, I've never looked back since everything settled. Same with the side button, but I do usually use my Watch. Stick at it and I'm sure it'll settle for you :)

I have a theory. Fans of Face ID or also pro-notch, and fans of Touch ID are anti-notch. Am I right?
I definitely prefer using FaceID over TouchID, but I'm not remotely fussed about the notch. When I'm using the phone, it just "melts away", I don't give it a second thought at all.

People who complain about the notch have probably never used an iPhone with one, they are very much a minority (point justification: iPhone is the best-selling smartphone).
 
It’s not been confirmed, but it is speculated that there may have been advancements with the A-Series processors that pose restrictions on iPhone 11 and under with Face ID.
To be fair I also didn’t realize this isn’t the same “you have to be wearing an Apple Watch” thing that we’ve got working with all FaceID phones. I was thinking it was the same thing but just made Apple Pay works.

If it’s actually scanning differently and not just using the watch as the authentication then that kinda makes sense.
 
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Sounds like it just allows you to authenticate payments rather than fully access the phone.

I'm fine with it and this needed to be available well over a year ago. I'm sure they'll be a toggle to disable it for those that want to.
Nah it works for fully accessing the phone - any Face ID prompt now works with a mask on, but you have to get the angle just right. I've found myself having to adjust my mask and move the phone up for it to work.

The page for enabling it says it uses features around your eyes to verify it's you. Since it required a re-scan of my face before I could enable it, I wonder if that means they're training it to look more specifically for features near eyes.
 
It's funny you could point out things that I would point out, and we would have opposite reactions! Takes all types, right?

I really hope the muscle memory kicks in. I have had my 13 mini for only three weeks or so, so not long.
Updating the muscle memory is a bit easier with one device. I have a company-issued iPhone and a personal iPhone, one with Touch ID, one without. When you have to switch back and forth between models often, it can be surprisingly jarring.
 
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Nah it works for fully accessing the phone - any Face ID prompt now works with a mask on, but you have to get the angle just right. I've found myself having to adjust my mask and move the phone up for it
.

The page for enabling it says it uses features around your eyes to verify it's you. Since it required a re-scan of my face before I could enable it, I wonder if that means they're training it to look more specifically for features near eyes.
Yes, it’s all around the eyes. Different masks don’t matter, even pulling up your shirt over your nose works. It will only authenticate if it can see your eyes through the glasses but will also accommodate some steaming on the glasses. I can confirm this with actual experience today.


The procedure is to look directly at the phone and nod down until it unlocks and seems to work every time for everything that requires Face ID. It works with my glasses on or off while reading in bed as I’m nearsighted or out and about at the mall. I’ll give Apple the “Fat_Guy seal of approval” on this one. I just wished they did this a year ago.
 
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Apple yesterday released the first developers beta of iOS 15.4 with several notable new features. Perhaps the biggest is the ability to use Face ID to unlock your iPhone while wearing a mask, without requiring an Apple Watch to do so. In another noteworthy addition, you can now also authenticate Apple Pay transactions while wearing a mask for the first time.

face-id-mask.jpg

With the release of iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4 last year, Apple added the ability for users wearing a mask to unlock their iPhone when wearing an Apple Watch, eliminating the need to enter a passcode instead. However, while "Unlock with Apple Watch" allows users to unlock their device while wearing a mask, other features that rely on Face ID, such as Apple Pay and in-app authentication, do not work.
That will change when iOS 15.4 is released to the public, after which users will also be able to make Apple Pay purchases and use Face ID within apps when wearing a face covering. That said, Apple is warning that using Face ID with a mask is less secure, and the biometric authentication system remains "most accurate" when used with full-face recognition.

To enable Face ID while wearing a mask, an iPhone "can recognize the unique features around the eye area to authenticate," according to Apple. The feature in the first beta is limited only to the iPhone 12 and later, meaning users of older iPhone models will miss out. Alongside Face ID with a mask, Apple has also added the ability to configure Face ID while wearing glasses.

iOS and iPadOS 15.4 are likely to be released to the public later this Spring and include new emojis, an Apple Card widget, Universal Control, and more. Check out everything new in the first beta with our roundup.

Article Link: iOS 15.4 Will Let You Pay With Apple Pay Using Face ID While Wearing a Mask
PATHETIC UPDATE.... JUST KEEPS CONFIRMING THOSE EVER SO TENDER FOLKS THAT LIVE IN FEAR
 
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Sounds like it just allows you to authenticate payments rather than fully access the phone.

I'm fine with it and this needed to be available well over a year ago. I'm sure they'll be a toggle to disable it for those that want to.

The common thief isn't really interested in full access to the phone. But the option to clean out someones bankaccount (or at least to the maximum limit)?
 
I usually use my Apple Watch and rarely if ever use Apple Pay on my phone (outside of online purchases made at home). The idea sounds interesting, but I wear glasses. Already that weakens some of Face ID’s face cues, and I kinda don’t trust Face ID’s security with glasses and a mask even if I trust it without mask and glasses or even without mask and with glasses
 
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