"Are You Satisfied with Face ID?"... iPhone 13, Is Touch ID Making a Comeback?

Apple Conducts Survey for Some iPhone 12 Users
Questions on Touch ID Satisfaction and USB Cable Usage

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] As mask-wearing has become routine, Apple is struggling to replace the inconvenient Face ID technology on the iPhone.

On the 9th (local time), Apple conducted a survey targeting consumers who purchased the iPhone 12 series regarding their satisfaction with Face ID and whether they use USB cables.

Apple surveyed iPhone 12 users about their satisfaction with Face ID. The options for reasons for dissatisfaction included ▲preferring not to pick up the iPhone just to use Face ID ▲failing to recognize the face in dark or lying down positions ▲preferring Touch ID, among others.

It is speculated that Apple is devising new features in response to criticism that Face ID does not recognize users when wearing masks. Many iPhone users have to enter their passcodes every time to unlock their phones while wearing masks.

Face ID is a feature that uses the TrueDepth camera system to recognize the face and unlock the phone when looking at the iPhone. The camera system consists of ambient light and proximity sensors, an infrared camera, a flood illuminator sensor, and a dot projector module that projects 30,000 points for recognition. Since the launch of the iPhone X, when the home button was removed, it has become the flagship model’s authentication system.

There is also speculation that this survey is a preliminary step to revive the fingerprint recognition feature, Touch ID, in the next iPhone. The IT specialized media Nine to Five Mac explained, "It cannot be separated from rumors that next year’s iPhone will support both Touch ID and Face ID."

Apple’s survey of iPhone 12 users about USB cable usage has also raised speculation that cables might be excluded next year. Apple included questions about the use of stickers, SIM pins, and USB-C to Lightning cables for iPhone 12 users. Previously, Apple conducted a survey related to power adapter usage habits before removing the charger (adapter) from the iPhone 12 package.