Potential issues with Face ID versus Touch ID?

In summary, the author is considering buying a new iPhone and is considering the iPhone XR and the iPhone 8. He is concerned about Face ID reliability, but has found that it has worked well for him in the past. He also notes that the iPhone 8 uses Touch ID, which he is comfortable with, and that Face ID is also reliable.
  • #1
jtbell
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TL;DR Summary
Potential issues with Face ID versus Touch ID?
It looks like sometime in the next few days I'm going to buy a new iPhone to replace my 5S. I've been thinking about this for almost a year, but now it's become somewhat urgent because my wife needs to replace her old Nokia non-smartphone soon. According to our cellular provider (Consumer Cellular), the AT&T and Verizon networks that they re-sell are phasing out the 3G service that the Nokia uses. So our plan is for me to get my new iPhone, then hand the 5S down to her.

She'll probably need to buy a new iPhone at some point anyway because iOS 13 which comes out next month won't support phones before the 6S. But at least she can get started with iOS using the 5S. She already uses an iPad at home, so an iPhone won't be a shock for her.

So, my candidates are the iPhone XR ($750) and the 8 ($600). The 8 is obviously cheaper, but I'll likely be able to keep the XR longer before future versions of iOS no longer support it. I've got the money, so I don't mind paying more now if I get more years of service out of it.

The other big factor for me is that the 8 uses Touch ID (thumbprint) which has worked well for me on the 5S, whereas the XR uses Face ID. I'm a bit concerned about the reliability of Face ID, because I have at two or three different "appearances." Indoors, I always wear eyeglasses. Outdoors, while driving, I wear large wraparound sunglasses on top of the eyeglasses. Outdoors, outside the car, I also usually wear a baseball-type cap. (Supposedly Face ID can handle caps or hats.)

So I'm a bit concerned whether Face ID can handle all these circumstances, even with its ability to define an "alternate appearance" (similar to an "alternate thumbprint" for Touch ID). If any of you all use an iPhone with Face ID, how well has it worked, and how often do you need to fall back on your passcode?
 
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  • #2
Why not both of you get the same phone so that you can explore them together and your software updates will be in sync? and get matching Apple T-shirts too.

I'm sure the 5S will fall off the iOS update sometime soon as the new batch of phones debut this fall.

https://www.getorchard.com/blog/iphone-5-still-good/
6 Years is longer than the average time to upgrade. Businesses upgrade their hardware every 3 years whereas home users upgrade every five years. (I planning to upgrade my mac-mini at 8 years due to wakeup issues.)

My wife has an iPhone XS and the face recognition works well it rejects me but accepts her go figure. I haven't tried any tricks with it like showing the phone a photo of her and I'm not sure if that'll work. (Hmm have to try that sometime.)

I have touch ID on my 6Plus phone. It works well too. I've heard that people can use tape to lift a fingerprint and use it to open the phone. I've never tried it but there are some reports online:

https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/apple-iphone-6-touchid-hacked-a-7348
I also heard the story of a six year old girl who went on a shopping spree using her mom's fingerprint. The mom was sleeping and the girl quietly went over with the phone and pressed her thumb to the sensor to open it up and bingo.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...es-sleeping-moms-thumbprint-pokemon/95907370/
 
  • #3
jedishrfu said:
I also heard the story of a six year old girl who went on a shopping spree using her mom's fingerprint. The mom was sleeping and the girl quietly went over with the phone and pressed her thumb to the sensor to open it up and bingo.
Good point. It should be trivially easy for a child to get access to a parent's phone and then add their own fingerprint. Iphone can store more than 1 fingerprint I presume.
 
  • #4
jtbell said:
Summary: Potential issues with Face ID versus Touch ID?

The other big factor for me is that the 8 uses Touch ID (thumbprint) which has worked well for me on the 5S, whereas the XR uses Face ID. I'm a bit concerned about the reliability of Face ID, because I have at two or three different "appearances." Indoors, I always wear eyeglasses. Outdoors, while driving, I wear large wraparound sunglasses on top of the eyeglasses. Outdoors, outside the car, I also usually wear a baseball-type cap. (Supposedly Face ID can handle caps or hats.)

So I'm a bit concerned whether Face ID can handle all these circumstances, even with its ability to define an "alternate appearance" (similar to an "alternate thumbprint" for Touch ID). If any of you all use an iPhone with Face ID, how well has it worked, and how often do you need to fall back on your passcode?

I've been using FaceID for a year and it's pretty much bullet proof. It works when I have no glasses, my reading glasses and sunglasses on, and works when I wear a cap. You can also put a second identity on the phone, so you can take another faceID of yourself with your glasses and your cap on if you do run into trouble
 
  • #5
mgkii said:
I've been using FaceID for a year and it's pretty much bullet proof. [...]
That sounds good, thanks!

I've put off my purchase for a couple of weeks. After Apple announces this fall's new iPhones on Sept. 10 (presumably), they'll probably reduce the prices of older models. I could have saved some money on my 5S if I had waited until the next announcement about a month later.

Also, it turns out that the issue with my wife's 3G Nokia isn't as urgent as we thought it might be. AT&T's 3G shutdown isn't going to be complete until the beginning of 2022. I suspect that rural areas like ours will probably be the last to lose 3G, and the last to receive 5G service.

jedishrfu said:
6 Years is longer than the average time to upgrade.
I actually bought my 5S four years ago, when it was a 2-year-old model. Maybe I'll get 5 years out of the XR, since it will be a year "younger" when I buy it.
 
  • #6
jtbell said:
I've put off my purchase for a couple of weeks. After Apple announces this fall's new iPhones on Sept. 10 (presumably), they'll probably reduce the prices of older models.
They did reduce the iPhone XR from $750 to $600 when they announced the iPhone 11 two days ago, so I bought the XR today. Face ID works fine so far. It recognizes me with my big sunglasses and/or cap with no problem. It unlocks itself automatically when I simply pick it up and look at it. When my wife does it, she gets the passcode screen.

I like the bigger keyboard buttons when entering text. I don't have to concentrate as hard to avoid tapping the wrong keys.
 

1. What is the main difference between Face ID and Touch ID?

The main difference between Face ID and Touch ID is the method of biometric authentication. Touch ID uses a fingerprint scanner, while Face ID uses facial recognition technology.

2. Can Face ID be easily fooled by a photograph or mask?

There have been concerns about Face ID being fooled by a photograph or mask. However, Apple has implemented advanced technologies such as a TrueDepth camera and infrared sensors to prevent this from happening. In addition, Face ID requires the user's eyes to be open and looking at the device, making it difficult for someone to unlock the device without the user's knowledge.

3. What happens if I change my appearance, such as getting a new haircut or wearing glasses?

Face ID is designed to adapt to changes in appearance. It uses machine learning algorithms to continuously update and recognize subtle changes in the user's face. This means that even if you change your appearance, Face ID will still be able to recognize you and unlock your device.

4. Is Face ID more secure than Touch ID?

This is a difficult question to answer definitively. Both Face ID and Touch ID are considered secure methods of biometric authentication. However, some experts argue that facial recognition technology may be more vulnerable to hacking attempts compared to fingerprint scanning. Ultimately, the security of your device will also depend on other factors such as the strength of your password and the security of your device's software.

5. Can I still use Touch ID on devices with Face ID?

No, Face ID is currently only available on newer iPhone and iPad models. These devices do not have a Touch ID sensor, so users must rely on Face ID for biometric authentication. However, Apple may continue to offer Touch ID on future devices, as there are still some advantages to this technology, such as being able to unlock the device without having to look at it directly.

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