Mr Viral
Apple introduced Face ID on iPhone all the way back in 2017, and Touch ID quickly became absent from all but the budget iPhone SE. Now, the SE is about to lose it too. But I think it’s actually the perfect time to bring Touch ID back across the entire iPhone lineup, and Vision Pro is why.
Vision Pro made me instantly miss Touch ID on iPhone
Vision Pro is perhaps Apple’s most advanced technological achievement.
Yet very shortly after buying this ‘spatial computer,’ I immediately wanted Apple to bring a piece of legacy tech back: Touch ID.
Why?
Because Face ID on iPhone does no good when Vision Pro is strapped to your face—an unfortunate detail I’m reminded of every time I use visionOS.
I’ll admit that I’m a new Vision Pro owner, so maybe this is just a problem of rewiring my brain to stop reaching for my iPhone.
Maybe one day, I’ll be such a visionOS ninja that I’ll no longer rely on the iPhone at all when using Vision Pro.
But I really doubt it.
The iPhone isn’t going away any time soon. So my desire to use the iPhone while wearing Vision Pro won’t either.
Perhaps Apple can update Face ID in software to authenticate my face even while wearing a Vision Pro.
The company shipped a similar software fix in 2022 when masks were more common. It made Face ID less secure, but far more convenient for COVID days.
I imagine that making Face ID work for Vision Pro wearers would be much more difficult. Thus, Touch ID could be the solution.
There are other advantages to having Touch ID on iPhone, too, as some have pointed out. In certain situations, it’s more convenient than Face ID.
Touch ID fix isn’t urgent, but it will grow more important over time
Right now, Vision Pro is only, per CEO Tim Cook, an “early adopter product.” So early adopter annoyances like this one shouldn’t dictate Apple’s priorities.
But some time in the next few years, before Vision products become more of a thing, I really hope Touch ID can make its triumphant return to the iPhone.
Under-display Touch ID would be great. But Apple doesn’t need to overdo it. Just add the feature into the power button, like what’s available on iPad.
Apple devices are known for working especially well together, so I hope this key exception can get fixed before long, and Vision Pro and iPhone can stop getting in each other’s way.
Do you think Apple should bring Touch ID back to the iPhone? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.
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