Starting with the release of the iPhone XR all the way through Apple’s most recent iPhone edition, the 11 and the 11 Pro, Face ID has replaced the Touch ID when it comes to unlocking your phone on the go without having to type in a password.
There are many excellent things to be said concerning this newest technology; if it wasn’t working, Apple would hardly keep hard-wiring it into their new products. But, for some, there’s still much to be said for the old fingerprint scanning home button of old. Here are just a few of the things consumers love about Face ID and a few things they miss terribly about the Touch ID system.
Face ID Is Fast
Touch ID was relatively quick at unlocking the iPhone but it doesn’t compare to its updated brother, Face ID. When someone raises their iPhone in their hand and looks at it the phone unlocks just about automatically, with no real issues no matter the angle. It also brings that speed to logging into applications and making purchases on the mobile device. In an era that’s all about speed and information right at your fingertips, Face ID certainly moves in the right direction where general haste is concerned.
Touch ID Is Inconspicuous
For anyone who likes to check their messages during movies or during class (though these are not practices that are recommended) Touch ID was always more convenient. When in a darkened theater no one wants to have to hold up their phone to unlock it and further blind patrons behind you. Anyone in a meeting or classroom also knows that looking directly down into one’s lap is a dead give away and, while Touch ID iPhones can be unlocked with the brush of a thumb, Face ID depends a bit more on being visible and present.
Face ID Is A Depth Scanner
The technology behind Apple’s Face ID is magical in and of itself. While iPhone users know it only as their unlocking mechanism the technology itself could be a real leap forward for 3D imaging. If other applications could start harnessing the power of the iPhone’s Face ID scanning software there’s a lot that could be accomplished in terms of 3D printing as well as in digital design work. Face ID can be a lot more than a security measure, unlike its predecessor.
Touch ID Is Harder To Trick
Even small children have figured out that, if they get a hold of mom or dad’s iPhone, they can hold it up to the unsuspecting face of the user and unlock the device for their own enjoyment. It’s much simpler, and a bit less jarring, than trying to manipulate someone’s finger on the old home button. While this is funny in the home it could be a security problem, rather than a time-saver, in other situations. Definitely something to think about when investing in your next device (especially when the Touch ID models will likely be on sale).
Face ID Updates Automatically
Want to change what finger you use for Touch ID? You have to go back into settings and take your time to rescan your new digit to start unlocking your iPhone with just a brush of the home button.
However, with Apples’ Face ID what you look like is updated automatically. Say you grow a beard or get a drastic hair cut, the first time you try and scan in through Face ID you may have to type in your old school numerical passcode but, when that happens, Face ID automatically takes a look at the new you and updates your scanning accordingly, so things will work just as expected the next time you want to login.
Touch ID Doesn’t Care About Light
Sometimes the environment around you can be problematic when it comes to scanning your face. With Touch ID it doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting in a springtime garden or a darkened movie theater if you can reach your phone it is possible to easily unlock it without the need for your passcode. You may run into problems if your hands are dirty, but you probably wouldn’t want to be handling your mobile device then anyway. There’s something yo be said about being able to work with your hands.
Face ID In The Cold
Gloves have come a long way in terms of consumers being able to wear them in the cold and still be able to access and use their touchscreen devices at the same time. The continuing problem with gloves? Fingerprints. While touchscreens can read gestures through many gloves today there is still no way for Touch ID to read a person’s fingerprint through a glove or mitten. This is not a problem for Face ID. Anyone who has had to wait for a train or bus or walk to work in the winter can appreciate the simplicity of being able to unlock their phone on the go no matter the weather.
Touch ID One Step Payments
When making purchases on the iPhone, say through the App Store, with Touch ID users only had to lay their fingerprint against the home button to get going. With Face ID Apple has had to add another step (to keep users from accidentally making purchases just by looking at their screen like a normal person). Purchases have to be confirmed by double-clicking the iPhone’s side button (usually used for powering the device on or off). This is a necessary step, certainly, but that doesn’t make Face ID more convenient than its predecessor.
Face ID Stays Clean
With Touch ID dependent solely on the home button on the iPhone and the home button being used so regularly on the device it often was found to build up some gunk and dirt and then, not work for any user until time had been made to clean off the area.
Face ID, scanning from the top rather than the bottom of the iPhone, and also not being dependent on a single spot on the phone, tends to work more regularly than the Touch ID once did.
Touch ID In The Car
You should never text while driving but, sometimes, you’re using the GPS on your iPhone and the screen locks. It was far simpler to keep your eyes on the road and slide a finger over the home button to unlock the iPhone with Touch ID. With Face ID, and having to look directly at the screen and away from the road to do so, it’s a bit more perilous than it was before.
