What's up with all the hate with rear Touch ID?

[recoil80]

Number of Apple Watch owners is much, much smaller than iPhone users. If you want that feature, I'd say "less than 12 inch"; so it works if you just pick up your phone with your Watch hand. 3 feet would allow someone to pick it up from my desk.

I'd like to pick it up with the other hand and still have the feature. Even today if you don't press the power button and leave the iPhone unlocked on your desk you're not safe.
Anyway that would only work with Apple Watch, we are a minority of users so they'd still need to provide another authentication method

 

[PowerGala]

If it's not broke, then why fix it? The button works perfectly well and virtual buttons don't work as well in my experience. This just fells like a classic case of form over function.

Regardless of what happens, I'm not too worried about it. I still love my 6S and I don't really need a new phone. I'd like one mainly so I can get a Plus model, but I don't need one.

 

[willmtaylor]

If it's not broke, then why fix it? The button works perfectly well and virtual buttons don't work as well in my experience. This just fells like a classic case of form over function.

Regardless of what happens, I'm not too worried about it. I still love my 6S and I don't really need a new phone. I'd like one mainly so I can get a Plus model, but I don't need one.

People have been whining about the iPhone's bezels for years now.

 

[recoil80]

People have been whining about the iPhone's bezels for years now.

I'm one of them. If they can't embed the sensor into the display they could at least reduce its size and have thinner bezels, it would be an improvement

 

[PowerGala]

People have been whining about the iPhone's bezels for years now.

I'd rather have a little bezel for my button than no button at all. Maybe they could just make the button smaller?

Either way, it's no big deal to me. I like what I have and it still works really well. I guess we'll see what they do later this year.

 

[dk001]

This is where iris scanning comes in.

That one I am going to wait and see how effective it really is.
Glasses, contacts, angle, etc ... are all going to have an effect.

 

[mpavilion]

Not a logical place for a fingerprint scanner. Once the Samsung s8 is in people's hands that will be a major complaint. Reviewers are already calling it 'awkward'

Yeah -- David from Android Police (which otherwise pretty much loved the phone) basically called the rear scanner a major fail.

 

[Mikotiv]

Freudian slip?

Maybe. But fingerprints readers on the back very conmmon in android phones

 

[dk001]

Maybe. But fingerprints readers on the back very conmmon in android phones

You either place them on the front bezel, build it into the display, or place it on the back.
If you want minimal bezel, and the tech isn't ready for "in display", you have very limited options.

When I played with a Nexus 6P for a while, it became second nature. Neither good nor bad. It just was.

 

[RtWrecklezX]

What's wrong is its old technology. This is a hyped phone for a special 10th Anniversary. If this is the actual phone no one should pay +1000 for this missed opportunity. This is the new Apple pushing something out to meet a Fall deadline for board members. Steve would delay a product till everything was flushed out and release it spontaneously.

 

[Gathomblipoob]

Steve would delay a product till everything was flushed out and release it spontaneously.

 

[PowerGala]

The Touch ID sensor in my touchbar MacBook Pro is smaller than the round one in my iPhone and it's also a square. They could use the smaller square button to make the bezel smaller.

 

[Septembersrain]

I just don't think I would like how the cases would work. I also think the way I use my iPhone, it would be an extra step that I would likely not take. I'd probably resort to just putting in my pin.

The fingers I tend to use most would be oddly placed if I had to use Touch ID on the back.

 

[uwdude]

Walt Mossberg reviewing the S8 said that in his opinion all 3 biometric types didn't work very well (fingerprint was awkward and took too long, had to open eyes real wide for iris scan, and facial recognition didn't work for him), and so I think a lot of us will end up going back to typing in a code a lot of the time.

 

[AsherN]

Against the argument that you can't easily unlock when the phone is lying flat, on a charger or in the car, how about Apple implement what's been in Android for a few years? Auto unlock at a couple of location or paired to specific devices? On my Nexus 5 I was able to set a geo-location for both home and work and establish my car as a safe paired device. In all 3 cases, the phone would automatically unlock. Those 3 cover 90% of where we would use the phone without picking it up.

I carry my phone top down, screen towards me in my front pany pocket. Reaching in to take it out, my index finger naturally rests on the Apple logo. In the right location, a back fingerprint reader is natural.

 

[dk001]

Walt Mossberg reviewing the S8 said that in his opinion all 3 biometric types didn't work very well (fingerprint was awkward and took too long, had to open eyes real wide for iris scan, and facial recognition didn't work for him), and so I think a lot of us will end up going back to typing in a code a lot of the time.

Actually I doubt it. The placement and use will be a bit different. However people will adjust to it. It will improve likely through software updates. Use of TouchID has become common for iPhone users.

I really do wonder if this will really happen. On the back ...

 

[gsxr1000]

How is this new finger print scanner going to work with cases. I always use cases on my iPhones. I guess case mfg's will have to put holes in their cases to put your finger through. This means more dust dirt build up on the backside. Smh.

 

[Txguy82]

If the latest leak is true, bye bye Iphone and hello Pixel

 

[bigjnyc]

Since the phone is going to have a glass back what if Apple made a whole area of the back the sensor, so that anywhere you place your finger in say the top 1/4 of the phone it reads your print? would this be expensive or consume extra battery... Any reason why it wouldn't be feasible?

 

[macTW]

Fingerprint on the back is awkward when:
-on a table
-in my car (always mounted)
-using a case

This.

Now, if the entire back was able to read fingerprints... I would still dislike using it, but I'd be impressed enough to consider using it.

 

[jeyf]

with Apple having to physically ship and sell billions of iPhones the day of release dont you think the design is already cast in concrete?

 

[woodynorman]

with Apple having to physically ship and sell billions of iPhones the day of release dont you think the design is already cast in concrete?

Billions? On release day? Not quite...

 

[8692574]

Remember when people made a fuss about the lock button being relocated from the top to the side?

Hell used to freeze, as the top was the perfect place for the button... couple of month of rantling later... "I wonder why they did not do that before".

Remember when the Headphone Jack was moved from the top to the bottom??

Hell used to freeze, as the top was the perfect place for the jack... couple of month of rantling later... "I wonder why they did not do that before".

You'll see people loving the T id on the back in a couple of months (fanboys aside!).

 

[infamousnxtAir]

If it is on the back of the phone it would be great if they put it under the Apple logo. ))

 

[paulsmith92]

Can't unlock phone when it's on the table.

I totally agree with you, currently am using google pixel it is having its fingerprint sensor on back that's why it gets difficult to unlock the phone when it's kept on the table or any surface u have to lift the phone in your hand and then unlock it and then keep it down.