[ASAP]

Originally Posted by Law

Surprisingly, one gets used to the lack of home button rather quickly and doesn't miss it at all.

The Control Center being in the upper right hand corner takes more effort than it should to access, so that's inconvenient during one-handed usage.
I've enabled "Reachability" to help alleviate it, although it's still not always easy to activate with the current phone case I'm using.

But if anything, it's FaceID that needs refinement.
Most of the time, it works just fine and I've been amazed at how intuitive it is when it works.
However, there are still enough daily situations where it won't read your face, which can get annoying:
1) FaceID is not particularly good in low-light situations, or if you're lying down. So say you're in bed but not asleep/can't sleep and you wanna check some messages or news or whatever, you're going to be entering your passcode.
2) FaceID is also not a very flexible system; if you happen to be performing another task that involves your face changing shape slightly, or an object slightly obstructing your face (i.e., eating, smoking, yawning, etc.), you better complete that task first, or you'll be condemned to enter your passcode.

Face id is ok but I still stick to the fact that better solutions existed...

[saeyedoc]

Got mine last night. Pretty impressed with face ID so far, it even worked in complete darkness. I sometimes wear glasses, contacts otherwise. At the advice of a colleague that has one, I did the face ID without glasses and it works fine with them.

[Obioban]

Been using FaceID since launch day. It doesn't work beyond ~45°, but that's a pretty weird situation. The only time I have it fail on me at this point is when I forget to look at the screen while unlocking it (which you can actually turn off via "attention aware", though I choose not to.

I find it actually functions more consistently for me than touch ID did--
-touch ID didn't work when doing car work, because I'd have gloves on
-touch ID didn't work in winter outside, because winter gloves
-touch ID didn't work if your hands were wet, and I wash my hands more frequently than the average person

The only circumstance I've had it not work is in the pit lane before going out on track (I have a full face helmet).

The lack of home button is annoying for ~2-3 days. Now my brain is broken the other way-- I keep trying to swipe up on my wife's iPhone 7+, with no effect.

For me, this has been the biggest phone improvement/upgrade in years. The screen is kickass, the battery is kickass, the camera is kickass, trueone makes non truetone screens look crappy once you're used to it, it's crazy fast, FaceID is a nice usability upgrade, and it has a ton of nice, unexpected, perks (e.g. the screen doesn't ever dim when you're looking at it, even if you haven't interacted with it for a bit. Or, notifications on the lock screen remain hidden until the owner looks at the phone).

I'm hopeful that the ARKit stuff, especially with the X's depth mapping feature, will make some fairly accurate 3D scanner apps in the semi near future.

It's just been wonderful. It's been a long time since I have actually been excited about a new phone.

My only complaint is that I wish there was a faster way to quit apps.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by Obioban

My only complaint is that I wish there was a faster way to quit apps.

It only takes one extra step and it's the same as it was before? What would you want to be faster?

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by dinonz

It only takes one extra step and it's the same as it was before? What would you want to be faster?

well, I don't use the app switcher view except to quit apps-- I do the bottom swipe left/right, as it's faster.

So, currently the quit process is
1) swipe up, pause (to toggle app switch view). The pause is just long enough that it's annoying (though I don't think it actually could be shorter or the noobs would accidentally be triggering it)
2) tap app and pause to trigger quit mode
3) quit apps

It's both the pauses that bother me. They're probably only 1/4 of a second each, but having to slow the flow for anything feels... annoying.

Very much a first world problem

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by Obioban

well, I don't use the app switcher view except to quit apps-- I do the bottom swipe left/right, as it's faster.

So, currently the quit process is
1) swipe up, pause (to toggle app switch view). The pause is just long enough that it's annoying (though I don't think it actually could be shorter or the noobs would accidentally be triggering it)
2) tap app and pause to trigger quit mode
3) quit apps

It's both the pauses that bother me. They're probably only 1/4 of a second each, but having to slow the flow for anything feels... annoying.

Very much a first world problem

Fair enough. At first I tried without the second pause, and could not "swipe up" to quit apps - I was pressing the (-) in the upper left corner. Then I realized that once the (-) is there, the "swipe up" worked as normal.

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by dinonz

Fair enough. At first I tried without the second pause, and could not "swipe up" to quit apps - I was pressing the (-) in the upper left corner. Then I realized that once the (-) is there, the "swipe up" worked as normal.

Yeah, I don't actually understand why the second click/pause is there. In pre X phones, you could swipe the app up from the app switches view to quit it-- I don't see how that functionality couldn't still exist in the X. I bet they add it back before the next iOS version.

Happily, I am not a habitual app quitter-- pretty much I only ever quit waze.

[Obioban]

It is amazing how primitive/quaint/antiquated the earlier phones feel once you get used to the X. If anyone tried going back to using an iPhone 1/3G/3GS/4/4S after getting used to a 6, it's kind of a similar experience.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by Obioban

It is amazing how primitive/quaint/antiquated the earlier phones feel once you get used to the X. If anyone tried going back to using an iPhone 1/3G/3GS/4/4S after getting used to a 6, it's kind of a similar experience.

We have a range of iPhones at work mostly for testing, and I used a 4 (or 4S - not sure) the other day. It was so cute and dinky - felt like a toy!

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by Obioban

well, I don't use the app switcher view except to quit apps-- I do the bottom swipe left/right, as it's faster.

So, currently the quit process is
1) swipe up, pause (to toggle app switch view). The pause is just long enough that it's annoying (though I don't think it actually could be shorter or the noobs would accidentally be triggering it)
2) tap app and pause to trigger quit mode
3) quit apps

It's both the pauses that bother me. They're probably only 1/4 of a second each, but having to slow the flow for anything feels... annoying.

Very much a first world problem

Swipe up, right in one motion...no pause needed.

A home button feels like it's from the 1990s if I go back to a phone with one.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by Law

Surprisingly, one gets used to the lack of home button rather quickly and doesn't miss it at all.

The Control Center being in the upper right hand corner takes more effort than it should to access, so that's inconvenient during one-handed usage.
I've enabled "Reachability" to help alleviate it, although it's still not always easy to activate with the current phone case I'm using.

But if anything, it's FaceID that needs refinement.
Most of the time, it works just fine and I've been amazed at how intuitive it is when it works.
However, there are still enough daily situations where it won't read your face, which can get annoying:
1) FaceID is not particularly good in low-light situations, or if you're lying down. So say you're in bed but not asleep/can't sleep and you wanna check some messages or news or whatever, you're going to be entering your passcode.
2) FaceID is also not a very flexible system; if you happen to be performing another task that involves your face changing shape slightly, or an object slightly obstructing your face (i.e., eating, smoking, yawning, etc.), you better complete that task first, or you'll be condemned to enter your passcode.

You need to rescan. FaceID works literally almost 100% of the time for me in any lighting, bright or pitch black. It's even better now that it's learned over time.

I really think some people are half ass scanning their face initially and it messes up the original setup. Scan your face with good lighting and take time to actually get the scan right.

FaceID technologically does not rely on light, so saying it's bad in low light is just wrong. It needs 0 light to work. If anything, direct bright light is the only thing that should have any effect, but it works in direct sun for me too.

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Swipe up, right in one motion...no pause needed.

A home button feels like it's from the 1990s if I go back to a phone with one.

... explain?

edit: just tried: you mean to bring up the switcher-- interesting!

Now they just need to get rid of the held tap to initiate quit mode and I'll have not a single complaint

Thank you, though! That's half my complaint addressed!

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

You need to rescan. FaceID works literally almost 100% of the time for me in any lighting, bright or pitch black. It's even better now that it's learned over time.

I really think some people are half ass scanning their face initially and it messes up the original setup. Scan your face with good lighting and take time to actually get the scan right.

FaceID technologically does not rely on light, so saying it's bad in low light is just wrong. It needs 0 light to work. If anything, direct bright light is the only thing that should have any effect, but it works in direct sun for me too.

Yeah, the only thing that should be able to make FaceID work less well is extremely intense light. Darkness should only make it work better.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by ASAP

Face id is ok but I still stick to the fact that better solutions existed...

FaceID is just one component of the new front facing camera setup. While FaceID replaces TouchID, it has a lot of others features and potential that TouchID just didn't have.

It has some downsides, but so did TouchID. Gen 1 TouchID was also much slower.

People need to stop thinking Apple created FaceID solely to replace TouchID. It's part of a much larger plan that includes AR and other camera based features that use facial tracking and 3d depth sensing technology.

Apple isn't stupid.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by Obioban

... explain?

edit: just tried: you mean to bring up the switcher-- interesting!

Now they just need to get rid of the held tap to initiate quit mode and I'll have not a single complaint

Thank you, though! That's half my complaint addressed!



Yeah, the only thing that should be able to make FaceID work less well is extremely intense light. Darkness should only make it work better.

For what it's worth, Craig Federighi says there is no need to close apps because it doesn't save battery and iOS manages the RAM. Closing apps is generally just an OCD thing. I think they need a "close all apps button," but getting into the app switcher is easier with my method, and that's all you ever really need to do.

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

For what it's worth, Craig Federighi says there is no need to close apps because it doesn't save battery and iOS manages the RAM. Closing apps is generally just an OCD thing. I think they need a "close all apps button," but getting into the app switcher is easier with my method, and that's all you ever really need to do.

Yeah, that's why the only app I ever quit is waze. If I change my destination, don't quit the app, sleep the phone and put it in my pocket, waze doesn't give up-- it keeps speaking directions.

Ending guidance in Waze is more cumbersome than quitting it. So I quit it.

[Obioban]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

FaceID is just one component of the new front facing camera setup. While FaceID replaces TouchID, it has a lot of others features and potential that TouchID just didn't have.

It has some downsides, but so did TouchID. Gen 1 TouchID was also much slower.

People need to stop thinking Apple created FaceID solely to replace TouchID. It's part of a much larger plan that includes AR and other camera based features that use facial tracking and 3d depth sensing technology.

Apple isn't stupid.

The continuous authentication for web sites, etc, is just great

[Law]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

You need to rescan. FaceID works literally almost 100% of the time for me in any lighting, bright or pitch black. It's even better now that it's learned over time.

I really think some people are half ass scanning their face initially and it messes up the original setup. Scan your face with good lighting and take time to actually get the scan right.

FaceID technologically does not rely on light, so saying it's bad in low light is just wrong. It needs 0 light to work. If anything, direct bright light is the only thing that should have any effect, but it works in direct sun for me too.

Good for you that it works [almost] 100% of the time.
I set mine up in the office with ample lighting.
I've yet to meet anyone in person or read any article that affirms 100% accuracy 100% of the time.
But hey, maybe we're all retards who half-assed the scan while locked in a pitched black basement.
You can pick at my words all you want, but the fact is, it's not perfect.
Does it work in low-light? Yes, but not all the time.
It fails enough times (or takes multiple tries) where I see room for improvement.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by Law

Good for you that it works [almost] 100% of the time.
I set mine up in the office with ample lighting.
I've yet to meet anyone in person or read any article that affirms 100% accuracy 100% of the time.
But hey, maybe we're all retards who half-assed the scan while locked in a pitched black basement.
You can pick at my words all you want, but the fact is, it's not perfect.
Does it work in low-light? Yes, but not all the time.
It fails enough times (or takes multiple tries) where I see room for improvement.

Dude, I just tried to help you. The only reason I'm telling you to re-scan is because maybe you did it in "odd" lighting that is causing weird refraction issues. The actual technology has zero care if it's pitch black. It's infrared.

Sorry it's not working out for you. It's still gen1, but I think they nailed it. I'm doing it in a pitch black room right now and it works 100% of the time.

[Law]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Dude, I just tried to help you. The only reason I'm telling you to re-scan is because maybe you did it in "odd" lighting that is causing weird refraction issues. The actual technology has zero care if it's pitch black. It's infrared.

Sorry it's not working out for you. It's still gen1, but I think they nailed it. I'm doing it in a pitch black room right now and it works 100% of the time.

It's good most of the time, just not all the time like I said.
To be fair, neither was TouchID. If you try unlocking with TouchID after washing your hands for example, it often failed.
I'm not ripping on Apple or the technology, for what it is, it's great and is more intuitive than most people think.
Still, there are times where it can improve.
It does work in low-light, or when i just happen to yawn or be chewing on food, but when it does fail, it's often during one of those situations.
In such situations, you really have to stop what you're doing and make an effort to focus, even if it's for a brief second, it's an inconvenience.
First world problem? Sure.
But when the MSRP is $1000USD for a phone, it's not farfetched to make a claim that there is room for improvement.

[BayMoWe335]

Originally Posted by Law

It's good most of the time, just not all the time like I said.
To be fair, neither was TouchID. If you try unlocking with TouchID after washing your hands for example, it often failed.
I'm not ripping on Apple or the technology, for what it is, it's great and is more intuitive than most people think.
Still, there are times where it can improve.
It does work in low-light, or when i just happen to yawn or be chewing on food, but when it does fail, it's often during one of those situations.
In such situations, you really have to stop what you're doing and make an effort to focus, even if it's for a brief second, it's an inconvenience.
First world problem? Sure.
But when the MSRP is $1000USD for a phone, it's not farfetched to make a claim that there is room for improvement.

Of course it can improve, but phones have cost $900 for a while. $1000 is really not a lot more than what we've seen the last 3-4 years. I paid $900 for the Note 4.

$1,000 is just a milestone people will get used to.

The Note 8 is $950 and the Pixel XL is $850-$950...and it runs Android.

[minn19]

Originally Posted by Obioban

It is amazing how primitive/quaint/antiquated the earlier phones feel once you get used to the X. If anyone tried going back to using an iPhone 1/3G/3GS/4/4S after getting used to a 6, it's kind of a similar experience.

Agreed 100%. I didn't like the X for about a half a day and then I got used to it. Now when I use my work iPhone 6s I hate it.

[Law]

Originally Posted by BayMoWe335

Of course it can improve, but phones have cost $900 for a while. $1000 is really not a lot more than what we've seen the last 3-4 years. I paid $900 for the Note 4.

$1,000 is just a milestone people will get used to.

The Note 8 is $950 and the Pixel XL is $850-$950...and it runs Android.

You're observations are correct.
I'm not complaining about price, just saying that at this price-point (which is a historical high for iPhone), it's not unreasonable that people (incl. myself) have higher expectations.