Touch ID on the iPhone Duo could prove frustrating for some users, according to reviews released today. Several reviewers found Touch ID to be slow to unlock, which can be jarring coming from Face ID.
According to Marques Brownlee, Apple added an intentional delay to “every” Touch ID unlock. After touching one finger on the side button to unlock, the lock screen stops. If you keep your finger there, the screen continues to the home screen.
It’s technically smart. For example, it gives people the ability to check their notifications very quickly before unlocking them. And if they deliberately want to keep it longer, it will unlock. But as someone used to instant Face ID unlocks, I figured I’d have to find a way to turn that off. And I didn’t find that. As if it just made the fingerprint reader slow when it wasn’t (…)
I really think Face ID will be the first thing people miss coming from other iPhones.
Brownlee says his solution is to wake the iPhone Duo, swipe up, then touch the sensor for instant unlocking.
Engadget described Touch ID as taking “a little longer to unlock than expected.” Apple told the site that pausing Touch ID creates a more consistent experience compared to other devices that use Touch ID, like Macs and iPads, and gives the phone time to wake up and show lock screen notifications.
In her review, Joanna Stern said she was fumbling to unlock even a week later, with five fingers registered. “Face ID, I can’t tell you how deeply I miss you,” she said.
Mrwhosetheboss said the plug instead of the tap “feels like a tiny bit of extra friction 50 times a day.” He found that Touch ID could be problematic right after washing his hands or with slightly oily fingers, and he also said that it was only really comfortable to use in landscape orientation.
PetaPixel said that Apple’s choice to use Touch ID instead of Face ID “was a mistake”, and found it slower than Face ID. Accidental presses when picking up or moving the iPhone also trigger a haptic error buzz. PetaPixel said it was buzzing constantly.
Apple allows the iPhone Duo to be unlocked with the Apple Watch as an alternative to Touch ID, and PetaPixel said this unlock method was faster than using Touch ID. Having a watch for unlocking “removed a lot of the friction” caused by Touch ID.
Brian Tong said Touch ID feels like a step backwards. “I’ll tell you right now, you’ll want to wear an Apple Watch,” he said.
GizmodoRaymond Wong of Raymond Wong said he was missing Face ID every time he grabbed the iPhone Duo from a desk or in a pocket and he remembered he had to put a registered finger on the button to unlock it. He said it was difficult to get used to not being able to seek to authenticate a payment with Apple Pay. Wong also points out that, as with older iPhones, winter gloves will need to be removed for unlocking.
The edge said that “a week” was long enough to get used to Touch ID, and that it was “mostly painless once you remember you’re supposed to use it.” 9to5Mac said the iPhone Duo’s biggest compromise might be Touch ID, but also described it as working “quickly and reliably”.
If you buy an iPhone Duo, will you miss Face ID? Let us know in the comments below.
Gn tech
