Apple is not going to bring back the TouchID on iPhones anymore

Apple has been oscillating between Touch ID and FaceID on its devices for a while now, but with the new iOS update that’s about to roll out, it appears that the company has no further plans of adopting the TouchID sensor on its flagship iPhones again. The possibility of TouchIDs being included in iPhones was considered as a possibility over the pandemic since it was a problem unlocking the device with a mask on.

Apple has included new features, via updates, to tackle this issue, for example, if you are wearing your Apple Watch, you can unlock your phone with that. However, not all iPhone users own Apple Watches, so this wasn’t the best solution.

With iOS 15.4, that is set to roll out publicly in a few weeks, Apple has zoned in on their focus on FaceID again and have shown in a way that this is where its attention is going to be at.

As 9to5Mac points out, TouchID was “a breakthrough feature” when it launched with the iPhone 5s, but once Apple introduced FaceID with the iPhone X, the narrative shifted. The company was “two years ahead of the competition” when it launched FaceID and five years down the line, it is “at least half a decade ahead of its competitors”.

Simultaneously, Apple’s embedded fingerprint sensor has gotten better over time too, but, FaceID remains the safest and the fastest way to unlock the device. And with its next iOS update, Apple is adding eye recognition to FaceID making it easier to unlock iPhones with the mask on. And this also does away with the need to use the Apple Watch, or any other device, to unlock an iPhone when one has a mask on and cannot take it off.

As Apple explained, the TrueDepth system will “recognise the unique features around the eye to authenticate” the face. Along with the Apple Watch’s unlock feature, the TrueDepth system recognises when someone has a mask on and that the Apple Watch is near, and then unlocks the device. Earlier, it was not possible to authenticate third-party apps or use Apple Pay on the iPhone with this tech since it only recognised the mask and not the person. This has been fixed now with TrueDepth.

This, along with the fact that Apple keeps pushing FaceID recognition on most devices indicates that they are serious about it and intend to keep at it. Apple’s iOS 15.4 is set to release in a few weeks for the public, it is currently in beta, and that will bring in TrueDepth to the iPhones.

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