iPhone X Face ID is Preventing Me From Buying an iPhone X - Anyone Else?

[JoeyD74]

Open the airline's app.
Navigate to the boarding pass so it's in the foreground.
Tap the side button to lock the phone.

Upon unlocking the phone, the boarding pass being the last thing you viewed is in full view. I can do it in one fluid motion from my pocket to the glass scanner, thumb on the home button, it's unlocked and ready for the TSA or gate agent without being pointed anywhere near my face and at waist level.

So your setting it up before you get to the gate, I understand that. I guess my point is you still had to look at the phone to do that.

 

[ascender]

Thing is, until they're out in the wild with reviewers, we just don't know how reliable it actually is, let alone whether it will work for use case x, y or z. I'm optimistic that it is as good as Apple say it is, but i'm not naive enough to believe there might not be issues or, shock horror, it might not be good at all.

I guess if you have serious doubts as to how it will fit in to your own particular use-case, you could wait for the reviews to come in before buying it? Or just buy one as soon as possible and then moan like hell on here about it. Or even better, make a YouTube video complaining about it which might be more cathartic and even earn a few $ in to the bargain. Especially if you call it FaceID Fail or maybe FaceGate?

 

[apolloa]

Let me first say that I think Face ID will function as advertised. That's not my issue. My issue is that there are specific situations where the phone isn't in my hand and getting my face where it needs to be simply won't work. Some examples:

I'm in meetings all day and frequently need to quietly check an email or two; Face ID would require me to pick up the phone to look at it or lean forward in an obvious manner, tipping off the person speaking.

I commute by car each day and use a vent mount to hold my phone; Face ID would require me to do neck gymnastics to get my eyes oriented over the center console to unlock it if I'm getting gas or am parked in a queue to pick up my son after school.

At my desk, my iPhone lies flat about 8 inches away from the keyboard. To wake the phone I merely press the home button. To unlock it I keep pressing. With Face ID to wake the phone lying flat on the desk I need to use my whole hand to grip the phone and hit the side button with my thumb. If I then want to unlock it I need to pick it up and point it at my face.

I have a beach house and am full of sticky sunscreen and sand as I sit in my chair with my phone lying flat on the armrest. With Touch ID all I have to do is keep my pointer finger clean to unlock the phone. With Face ID I have to grab the entire phone with my dirty hand, get the case full of oily chemicals, and get the case full of gritty sand merely to check for a text message notification which I tend to do every 15 minutes.

I use Apple Pay constantly and the new behavior adds steps and complexity. With Touch ID all I have to do is slide my hand in my pocket, pull it out by the thumb, and before the phone hits the wireless terminal it's already unlocked and authenticated. With Face ID it takes twice as long to double click buttons, raise the phone to my face, etc.

I'm not afraid of the technology. I believe it will function as advertised. What I'm saying is that there is nothing convenient about Face ID except almost exclusively for situations where the phone is in your hand. And for my usecases at least 50% of the time my phone is not in my hand when I need to unlock it. So it will prevent me from buying a X. Which is a shame because I like the new screen and I like the new gestures and am bored of the 6/7/8 form factor.

The only thing I could think off when reading this was..

First world problems...


On aside note, I am split between the X and the 7 Plus, because I can literally get the 7 Plus for half the cost of the X... hmmm

 

[boltjames]

So your setting it up before you get to the gate, I understand that. I guess my point is you still had to look at the phone to do that.

I had to look at I phone once, at the hotel.

I then don't need to look at it again until I'm on the plane and ready to text the wife.

The 20 minutes between the two the phone is in/out of my pocket and unlocked and on the TSA or gate scanners without my having to look at the screen at all.

 

[artfossil]

I had to look at I phone once, at the hotel.

I then don't need to look at it again until I'm on the plane and ready to text the wife.

The 20 minutes between the two the phone is in/out of my pocket and unlocked and on the TSA or gate scanners without my having to look at the screen at all.

It is good to have a super power.

It isn’t always a good idea to display it in public.

 

[Txguy82]

AMEN OP!!

 

[boltjames]

It is good to have a super power.

It isn’t always a good idea to display it in public.

You make it sound like a joke but I'm dead serious. Try it.

As you check out of your hotel, bring up your boarding pass and make it the last thing you looked at on the screen. Then tap the button and put the phone to sleep. Arrive at the airport, walk up to TSA, reach into your pocket and in one motion, put your thumb on the home button while you bring the phone out of your pocket, and lie it straight on the glass. You're through. Put the phone back in your pocket. Walk up to the gate, do the same thing.

You've now gone from the hotel to your seat on the plane using your boarding pass to get through security and the gate agent without having to look at your screen even one time. It's not a super power; it's just Touch ID doing its job and Face ID sucking.

 

[inscrewtable]

...snip...

If it were Samsung FaceID they'd prolly be valid concerns however I'd be surprised if FaceID is a half baked as you think. If Apple have gone to the trouble to have professional 3D masks made to make sure that won't work, I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt till the X is released and tested, surely all the instances you highlight will be thoroughly explored to their limits.

 

[janeauburn]

Yeah. Every day I use my 6 Plus in ways that I know would never work w/ the X. I'll pass.

 

[artfossil]

You make it sound like a joke but I'm dead serious. Try it.

As you check out of your hotel, bring up your boarding pass and make it the last thing you looked at on the screen. Then tap the button and put the phone to sleep. Arrive at the airport, walk up to TSA, reach into your pocket and in one motion, put your thumb on the home button while you bring the phone out of your pocket, and lie it straight on the glass. You're through. Put the phone back in your pocket. Walk up to the gate, do the same thing.

You've now gone from the hotel to your seat on the plane using your boarding pass to get through security and the gate agent without having to look at your screen even one time. It's not a super power; it's just Touch ID doing its job and Face ID sucking.

I’m just messing with you.

Your use cases and mine are world’s apart. I’m an artist and it seems, many times at least, that I do things as SLOWLY as possible, so the speed, or lack of, of Face ID is simply not my concern.

What I do appreciate is that you have designed workflows that function for you and I also appreciate the zeal and passion you’ve put into streamlining them.

I’m confident you will design ingenious methods for using the iPhone X should you decide to adopt it.

 

[nia820]

I don't mind using it as long as it's snappy and fast. But with first gen of any new technology, there's going to be hiccups and fails. Which is why I'm wary of buying an iPhone x. I don't like being lab rats.

 

[bushman4]

Face ID just as Touch ID. Will not be for everyone. Different uses and circumstances etc will make the difference
Apple most likely tested Face ID in everyday situations and it passed

Hopefully it should be more of a plus than minus. I've used facial recognition in Windows 10 and it's good. Most likely Apples application will be better

Remember. Apple knows that Face ID is not for everyone and that's one of the reasons the iPhone 8 & 8+ are still around

 

[Jimpilot]

You make it sound like a joke but I'm dead serious. Try it.

As you check out of your hotel, bring up your boarding pass and make it the last thing you looked at on the screen. Then tap the button and put the phone to sleep. Arrive at the airport, walk up to TSA, reach into your pocket and in one motion, put your thumb on the home button while you bring the phone out of your pocket, and lie it straight on the glass. You're through. Put the phone back in your pocket. Walk up to the gate, do the same thing.

You've now gone from the hotel to your seat on the plane using your boarding pass to get through security and the gate agent without having to look at your screen even one time. It's not a super power; it's just Touch ID doing its job and Face ID sucking.

You mean you don’t even take a quick look to make sure it has the right screen showing. It would be pretty embarrassing if it brought up something else and the scanner turned red. Don’t think I could do it without a quick check, guess I’m too compulsive.

 

[cbreze]

Face ID isn't what's keeping me from buying it, but if I was buying it I'd simply not use that option.

 

[boltjames]

You mean you don’t even take a quick look to make sure it has the right screen showing. It would be pretty embarrassing if it brought up something else and the scanner turned red. Don’t think I could do it without a quick check, guess I’m too compulsive.

Once you get used to Non-Facing™ your iPhone it becomes second nature.

 

[skywalkerr69]

Could care less about Face ID. I’m buying it for one reason only and that’s not the screen. I’ll be disabling face ID as soon as I’m able to.

 

[amozo]

Quick question on Face ID, sometimes when I am in iTunes and browsing music or tv shows to buy, I will click the buy button, and sometimes I click the wrong song or TV episode, which isn’t a problem with Touch ID, since I just press cancel and never place my thumb on the print to pay. If this occurs with the X, won’t the phone automatically purchase whatever I press buy on since I will be looking at the screen?

 

[JoeyD74]

You mean you don’t even take a quick look to make sure it has the right screen showing. It would be pretty embarrassing if it brought up something else and the scanner turned red. Don’t think I could do it without a quick check, guess I’m too compulsive.

At some point they had to look at the phone and set this up, they are just choosing to do it in advance. Touch ID does not eliminate the need to look at your phone to do anything other than unlock it.
I get people don’t like it, that’s why there is more than one company to buy a phone from.

 

[stabile007]

Eh same technology is in use on MS Surface line of products and it actually works well for the most part. The only catch is distance affects it greatly and I noticed in all the Apple FaceID demo's they were all facing a certain angle and at certain distances which matches my relative experience with MS products. Things like sunscreen, sweat, glassses, sunglasses etc. Don't matter because its all using IR sensors not an image like everyone keeps thinking it does.

I am not too concerned with FaceID anymore really but more of the usability of the new interface and stuff. But to me its one of those let it sit and bake for a year and see where it goes.

 

[ke-iron]

No Touch ID = no buy. Went from 7+ to 8+. At least I have most of the features iPhone X would have. I think X will only have a better front camera, screen and "ani-emojis" over the 8+. Those I can live.

I'll wait for Xs.

So what do you think the “Xs” will have that the X doesn’t have that will make it worthy of an upgrade over the X?

 

[AnthonyG6]

I think FaceID is going to be awesome and is one of many reasons I can't wait to get my hands on the iPhone X. I think with FaceID we will use the iPhone in ways that we haven't even imagined yet. 3rd November can't come soon enough!

 

[Diorama]

I'm in meetings all day and frequently need to quietly check an email or two; Face ID would require me to pick up the phone to look at it or lean forward in an obvious manner, tipping off the person speaking.

Do you not think people can see you pressing the button, the screen lighting up, and you looking at the display? I’m a teacher, trust me, everyone can see you checking the phone. Although it might look a bit ruder to pick up the phone rather than just waking it up.

At my desk, my iPhone lies flat about 8 inches away from the keyboard. To wake the phone I merely press the home button. To unlock it I keep pressing. With Face ID to wake the phone lying flat on the desk I need to use my whole hand to grip the phone and hit the side button with my thumb. If I then want to unlock it I need to pick it up and point it at my face.

You tap the screen to wake on iPhone X, no lifting or side buttons needed.

I have a beach house and am full of sticky sunscreen and sand as I sit in my chair with my phone lying flat on the armrest. With Touch ID all I have to do is keep my pointer finger clean to unlock the phone. With Face ID I have to grab the entire phone with my dirty hand, get the case full of oily chemicals, and get the case full of gritty sand merely to check for a text message notification which I tend to do every 15 minutes.

If your ‘dirty hand’ is covered in ‘sticky sunscreen and sand’, enough to get the case ‘full of oily chemicals’, then TouchID already doesn’t work.
So with iPhone X you tap the screen once, and it unlocks as it sees you.
There are plenty of situations where TouchID is better, but dirty hands isn’t one of them.

 

[boltjames]

Quick question on Face ID, sometimes when I am in iTunes and browsing music or tv shows to buy, I will click the buy button, and sometimes I click the wrong song or TV episode, which isn’t a problem with Touch ID, since I just press cancel and never place my thumb on the print to pay. If this occurs with the X, won’t the phone automatically purchase whatever I press buy on since I will be looking at the screen?

That's an excellent observation, there is no undo button for a glance.

Yet another reason to be concerned about Face ID.

 

[bufffilm]

So what do you think the “Xs” will have that the X doesn’t have that will make it worthy of an upgrade over the X?

That's an impossible question to answer at this time.

Really?!...

 

[amozo]

That's an excellent observation, there is no undo button for a glance.

Yet another reason to be concerned about Face ID.

I just had a thought, I’d probably keep my hand over the sensor/notch before clicking buy. Not exactly convenient, but hopefully Apple will have a confirm page with a cancel option like it does with Touch ID.