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iPhone 6 plus Touch ID sensor particularly bad.

C

Chorx

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 28, 2011
211
116
Has anybody else noticed a particular slowness in the 6 plus Touch ID sensor. I've put the phone side by side with a 5s, multiple 6 and two 6 plus to see if it was an isolated issue. I configured my thumbprint on all of them and, to my surprise the 6 plus was a slug.

This was true in 8.0.2 and 8.1. I've also notices the 6 Plus sensor picks up grease much quicker than the 5s sensor. I didn't get a chance to really grease test the regular 6, however being a long time 5s user and now a 6 plus user, the lack of consistent Touch ID success is beginning to become my biggest gripe with the device.

I'd also like to point out (I urge anybody with a 5s or 6 on hand as well as a 6 plus) that the 6 plus is substantially slower at authentication. I've seen this echoed to every 6 plus owner I've pointed this out to. The slowness isn't the big deal to me is, the fact that half the time I'm stuck authenticating multiple times, or just entering a pin number is.

I'd love to hear from some folks regarding this. Do any 6 plus owners feel their Touch ID sensor is as well off as their 5s sensor was? I want to approach Apple and discern whether or not this is an issue with any olephobic coating, maybe there was a bad batch of launch devices that didn't properly get coated.
 
noobinator said:
I've used 2 different 6 Plus now and the sensor was as fast as or faster than my 5s.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen this once, with multiple 6 plus. have you put them side by side and compared? Have you been able to test a regular 6, how does that compare you your 6 plus?
 
This is something really sub par I put together when I initially noticed it was slower. I want to blow it out when I have a chance to have a handful of devices on hand, however (at least on 8.0.2) you can see the drastic difference in the time it takes my 6 plus to authenticate from the time the screen is on to the time im on the home screen.

furthermore, I've seen this same result reflected across multiple 6 plus, with different folks fingerprints configured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8As6ALIG444&feature=youtu.be

I'll most definitely post results when I get a chance to record all of it (in better lighting) this weekend.

Again, the delay isn't even the issue for me. It's the insane failure rate and amount I have to wipe the sensor off. I'd be very content if the thing simply was consistent on my device.
 
I've had no issues at all with my 6 plus fingerprint sensor. In fact, sometimes I'm just looking to wake the screen by pushing the home button to check the time and it unlocks it.

Dumb question: could it have anything to do with the way you scanned your fingerprint? Maybe the 5s scan is just a better scan?
 
mikemj23 said:
I've had no issues at all with my 6 plus fingerprint sensor. In fact, sometimes I'm just looking to wake the screen by pushing the home button to check the time and it unlocks it.

Dumb question: could it have anything to do with the way you scanned your fingerprint? Maybe the 5s scan is just a better scan?
Click to expand...

I have no clue, the authentication issues go away if I wipe the scanner off. I can see the difference if I place my thumb on the 5s it doesn't pick up nearly the same amount of grease.

I don't like to think of myself as an overly greasy person, I wash my hands very regularly, and I go through a lot of hand sanitizer at work. I've never had issues like this in the past, not since the iPhone 3g (beyond the point when oleophobic coating became popular) at least.

It makes me wonder if some units have a weaker coating on the Touch ID sensor, if at all. It doesn't feel as smooth as the 5s sensor. When my gently run my finger across it, it skips.
 
Last edited:
Interesting. Maybe take 5s and 6 plus to Genius bar and see if you can replicate? Maybe a faulty sensor? Good luck.
 
mikemj23 said:
Interesting. Maybe take 5s and 6 plus to Genius bar and see if you can replicate? Maybe a faulty sensor? Good luck.
Click to expand...

Was thinking about doing this. Hopefully I can bring a couple devices to cross reference. I'd love to spend a little more time and find a 6 plus that works correctly. I'd feel more confident if I saw someone compare their 6 plus to their 5s with different results from what I've seen. I didn't want to show up and voice a concern that was a general hardware issue, but it seems this may not be the case, despite using multiple devices as a test.
 
My 6 plus is faster and more consistent than my 5S. It's almost impossible for me to just tap it to look at the lock screen. It authenticates quickly enough in that split second
 
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