Face ID out, “Apple Ring” in! Google might hold the secret to the next huge iPhone innovation?

Face ID was slower to unlock your iPhone than Touch ID; it didn't work when you looked at your phone off angle, and it took up a ton of space, giving the iPhone a cosmetic makeover, resulting in the iconic notch.

iPhone News - 04-12-2022 10:40

Still, Face ID wasn't the sole reason I sold my iPhone XS and iPhone XR back in 2019 before moving on to the Huawei P30 Pro, but it also wasn't one of the reasons that would've made me keep using one of Apple's 2018 iPhones.

Therefore, I naturally had some reservations before ordering my iPhone 13 mini earlier this year. I was used to the convenience of the iPhone 8's old but gold fingerprint sensor, and although slow, the Pixel 6 Pro's optical scanner also allowed me to unlock my phone even if it was sitting on a table.

However, as it turns out Face ID has gotten better over the years! Not only is it quicker to recognize my face, but it also does so from more (odd) angles. On top of that, the notch is now smaller (even gone on the iPhone 14 Pro series), and that makes it feel like I'm giving up less screen real estate to have this convenient security feature.

Well, not really… Apple's face recognition tech still has some notable limitations that take away from the "it just works" factor that Tim Cook & Co love so much. But then… What comes after Face ID? The return of Touch ID? Or something completely different? You know what... Google might have the answer!

Face ID is the "magical Apple technology" everyone loves… when it works (which isn't 100% of the time)

In fact, I think my willingness to accept Face ID or even tolerate it, is largely due to my sheer appreciation for the iPhone 13 mini - mostly thanks to how compact this phone is, which is what makes it so unique to me.

Sure, the technical improvements Apple's made to Face ID also helped but, facial recognition is still nowhere near perfect…
 

Face ID still doesn't let you unlock your phone if you're wearing headgear that covers both your eyes and the rest of your face Although Face ID does work with face masks, it takes significantly longer to read your face (if it does at all) Due to the limited angular range of Apple's 3D unlocking system, you still can't unlock your phone if it's sitting on a desk With Face ID, it's rather tricky to unlock your phone if you're moving rapidly, like when you're jogging outside or on a treadmill Even when Face ID fails to read your face, there's a lack of immediate response to let you know to correct your positioning, which results in having to type in your PIN (like a caveman!)
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