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BostonQuad

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2015
174
176
I appreciate Face ID, but it almost always fails outside. TouchID would be a great complement, but building it under the display is problematic.

So what's wrong with putting TouchID on the power button? It works perfectly on my iPad mini. I might even prefer it on the power button than on the screen.

Edit: I don't want Face ID replaced; I love it. I want both.
 
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Apple is who you need to convince. And they've already stated that FaceID is their future.
 
I appreciate Face ID, but it almost always fails outside. TouchID would be a great complement, but building it under the display is problematic.

So what's wrong with putting TouchID on the power button? It works perfectly on my iPad mini. I might even prefer it on the power button than on the screen.
what’s the advantage of making it more complicated for the average iPhone user? People pick up their iPhone, look at it, and it unlocks.
 
I wish. No idea if it’ll happen, but it is possible:

[Federighi] confirmed that Apple believes Face ID is the future of biometric authentication, with the caveat that there are settings where different biometric techniques or combinations of biometrics could make sense.

By the way, Face ID is taking a long time to reach all Apple’s products if that is indeed the plan. It’s been about 6 years, and Face ID appears on all iPhones except SE, and pro iPads; but Touch ID still has a pretty big presence, appearing on iPhone SE, all non-pro iPads, all MacBooks, and Magic Keyboard. Wonder why it’s taking so long. Or maybe it’s done expanding and this is it.
 
In OP's defense and without knowing the technical details, considering that Face ID is based on infrared, it does not sound impossible that bright sunlight could interfere with it under unfavorable conditions.
"The Face ID hardware consists of a sensor with three modules; a laser dot projector that projects a grid of small infrared dots onto a user's face, a module called the flood illuminator that shines infrared light at the face, and an infrared camera which takes an infrared picture of the user, reads the resulting pattern and generates a 3D facial map."

"In terms of energy, sunlight at Earth's surface is around 52 to 55 percent infrared (…)"

@BostonQuad assuming your display is clean and no weird screen protector is installed (deflecting the IR rays), have you tried adding an alternate appearance outdoors? Any warnings?
 
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FaceID will work in a pitch dark room or blinding sunlight.

It's not a camera scan you know.

This is simply not true. Under certain angles, when sunlight is hitting the FaceID hardware directly and when the UV index is high (which also means infrared irradiation is high) the FaceID will fail. If you, for example, rotate 180 degrees, it starts working.
 
I'm (more than likely) in the minority...and whilst I've had an overall smooth experience with faceID, got used to the notch etc etc...a touchID (embedded into the power button) enabled iPhone with a small hole-punch camera (removing faceID altogether) would be something different and something I'd certainly consider buying...though I doubt many others will 🤣

I've found a hole-punch (or teardrop) camera cut-out to be overall less intrusive compared to a notch/island, especially when watching content...but do acknowledge you get "used" to the notch after a relatively short period of time...

FaceID will work in a pitch dark room or blinding sunlight.

As does touchid...touchid also works when you're not looking at your phone...what's your point?
 
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Personally I still prefer FaceID. It is much more consistent and there are fewer incidents, where it fails to register (bright sunlight for example).

I live in Central Europe, gloves in winter make touchID useless.

Also FaceID can work without any physical interaction. Phone is at the table, shows notifications, you glance at the phone and it unlocks and shows the content. No such scenario is even possible with touchID.


I do understand that some people for some reason prefer touchID, but generally speaking FaceID is a far, far better tech for majority of users and situations.
 
I read the odds of someone else being able to unlock your phone with their own face and fingerprint and it's something like a million to one for FaceID and 300,000 to one for TouchID. (I can't remember the exact numbers - but FaceID is way more secure. I thought it would be like in court cases, where everyone's fingerprint is unique, but it's not as specific as that.)
 
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I read the odds of someone else being able to unlock your phone with their own face and fingerprint and it's something like a million to one for FaceID and 300,000 to one for TouchID. (I can't remember the exact numbers - but FaceID is way more secure. I thought it would be like in court cases, where everyone's fingerprint is unique, but it's not as specific as that.)

This is irrelevant, just clickbait. Security is as good as the weakest link, which if the passcode (and those are usually easily memorable combinations). Somebody carefully following you for a while will eventually see you unlock the phone with your passcode. I mean just look around when you're shopping, people input their passcode all the time.

Biometric security on phones is great for random loss of phone (theft or otherwise). Is somebody wants your data, it doesn't matter.
 
I read the odds of someone else being able to unlock your phone with their own face and fingerprint and it's something like a million to one for FaceID and 300,000 to one for TouchID. (I can't remember the exact numbers - but FaceID is way more secure. I thought it would be like in court cases, where everyone's fingerprint is unique, but it's not as specific as that.)
So that means if 300,000 random people lined up to try to unlock my Touch ID phone, only one of them will likely succeed? At those already ridiculous odds, I don’t consider any improvement on that number a significant selling point.
 
So what's wrong with putting TouchID on the power button?
Nothing, except that it would cost more to have it in addition to Face ID. I'd like to have both, but Apple's philosophy is to only provide one way per device.
 
What a bizarre thing to say, as if you know what my experience is. Face ID consistently fails for me in bright sun.
ive rarely had face ID fail for me in the sun and i work outside for a living maybe re do your scan or make a 2nd scan to help or hold it closer to your face
 
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I would love that. Never really took to FaceID, it's definitely more clunky than touchID IMO--have to get the angle and distance just right. never works first thing in the morning before I've had my coffee (either my face is frightful or my phone is psychic).
 
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