4 ms·

Face ID is extremely useful, and the real depth scanning capability makes it better. It's your right to elevate subjective aesthetics over functionality of cour

by xoa 5y ago

Face ID is extremely useful, and the real depth scanning capability makes it better. It's your right to elevate subjective aesthetics over functionality of course, but a significant number of us do not agree. If Apple is able to do the IR scanning, cameras and so on through the display in the future I'm sure they will take advantage of it, but a hole punch is not it. And short of that it's not clear what a flat out superior biometric identification system would be feasible in the near future (a return of Touch ID in-screen say would be complementary, not exclusive) in a bar form factor? Some sort of short range penetrating scanner that can read bone structure in your hand or something, if that's possible? Just hard to think of many degrees of freedom there, we have lots of other attributes to our bodies which represent useful bits of entropy, but not ones that are easy, fast, convenient and low power to gather from a bar in your hand. Wearable displays of course could jump straight to retina scanning, but that doesn't help phones. So even though I do expect the iPhone form factor to get disrupted by wearables, I don't really see Face ID ceasing to be important for the iPhone itself for a while, or Apple stepping backwards the 3D scanner. So the notch will probably stay until/unless they can do it through the display or something genuinely surprising/cool becomes available. Would be very cool if others who follow the field more closely can point to some possibilities I'm missing though.

Spooky23 5y ago
They really picked the wrong time to roll it out though. R Typing my complex password multiple times a day when I wear a mask is a bummer.
- xoa 5y ago
  I wear a respirator instead and Face ID works fine through it, so that hasn't been a problem for me. I certainly understand it's been a common complaint however, and I'd fully support Apple adding in-screen Touch ID. I just don't think that'd be a good replacement for Face ID, which all security discussions aside simply serves use cases (like wearing gloves) that Touch ID doesn't even as Touch ID serves cases that Face ID doesn't. It'd be better to have both. Kind of too bad Apple couldn't have at least attempted to help more people out purely in software though. I use a complex password along with Face ID as well, but there isn't any inherent reason they couldn't have more of a step function there: complex master password for performing sensitive functions, then a PIN fallback for Face ID, then Face ID like normal. Complex master required for trusting devices, upgrades, installing profiles, etc, PIN/biometric for typical out-and-about functionality.
FullyFunctional 5y ago
It's not about aesthetics, it's a pita to view contents in landscape and have the notch cut a hole in it. I keep having to rotate my phone the get it on the right side. I hate the notch (but I'm also not a fan of rounded corners).
- snailmailman 5y ago
  I’m curious- What content are you watching that the notch cuts into? 16:9 and 16:10 content that I watch on YouTube isn’t cropped by the notch unless you zoom into it fully, but then it’d also cropped on the corners, and the long edges as well. The screen is too long for most landscape content and the notch hides perfectly in the black bars in those instances.
  - FullyFunctional 5y ago
    I read documents and webpages and zoom in as much as possible because my eyes are old
tomjen3 5y ago
> It's your right to elevate subjective aesthetics over functionality of course Funny. There was a time when I would have complained about Apple doing exactly this.
- ASalazarMX 5y ago
  Many times these Apple events listed "0.x mm thinner" as a new feature, but everyone knows you'll put it in a case, while the battery and screen stayed mostly the same until the last big improvement.
MikeRichardson 5y ago
Both Face ID and Touch ID will be absolutely worthless if the Supreme Court determines that you can be compelled to unlock your phone (with biometric data). No case has reached the Supreme Court yet though and lower courts have ruled both ways, so it's not a settled matter.

by xoa 5y ago

Spooky23 5y ago

They really picked the wrong time to roll it out though. R Typing my complex password multiple times a day when I wear a mask is a bummer.

xoa 5y ago
I wear a respirator instead and Face ID works fine through it, so that hasn't been a problem for me. I certainly understand it's been a common complaint however, and I'd fully support Apple adding in-screen Touch ID. I just don't think that'd be a good replacement for Face ID, which all security discussions aside simply serves use cases (like wearing gloves) that Touch ID doesn't even as Touch ID serves cases that Face ID doesn't. It'd be better to have both. Kind of too bad Apple couldn't have at least attempted to help more people out purely in software though. I use a complex password along with Face ID as well, but there isn't any inherent reason they couldn't have more of a step function there: complex master password for performing sensitive functions, then a PIN fallback for Face ID, then Face ID like normal. Complex master required for trusting devices, upgrades, installing profiles, etc, PIN/biometric for typical out-and-about functionality.

FullyFunctional 5y ago

It's not about aesthetics, it's a pita to view contents in landscape and have the notch cut a hole in it. I keep having to rotate my phone the get it on the right side. I hate the notch (but I'm also not a fan of rounded corners).

snailmailman 5y ago
I’m curious- What content are you watching that the notch cuts into? 16:9 and 16:10 content that I watch on YouTube isn’t cropped by the notch unless you zoom into it fully, but then it’d also cropped on the corners, and the long edges as well. The screen is too long for most landscape content and the notch hides perfectly in the black bars in those instances.
- FullyFunctional 5y ago
  I read documents and webpages and zoom in as much as possible because my eyes are old

tomjen3 5y ago

> It's your right to elevate subjective aesthetics over functionality of course Funny. There was a time when I would have complained about Apple doing exactly this.

ASalazarMX 5y ago
Many times these Apple events listed "0.x mm thinner" as a new feature, but everyone knows you'll put it in a case, while the battery and screen stayed mostly the same until the last big improvement.

MikeRichardson 5y ago

Both Face ID and Touch ID will be absolutely worthless if the Supreme Court determines that you can be compelled to unlock your phone (with biometric data). No case has reached the Supreme Court yet though and lower courts have ruled both ways, so it's not a settled matter.