The iPhone X’s stunning OLED display may have been the star of Apple’s event earlier this week, but Face ID may be a game-changer itself. Designed as a replacement for Touch ID, Face ID uses a sophisticated array of cameras that can reliably identify and authorize the device’s true owner. Said to be more reliable than Touch ID — a bold yet promising claim — there is one interesting difference between Touch ID and Face ID worth bringing to your attention.
Specifically, word is that Face ID will only allow users to register one face per device. Word of this peculiar decision was first brought to the surface by Rene Ritchie and was subsequently confirmed by TechCrunch earlier today.
Face ID supporting just one face makes a lot of sense on the face of things (sorry), since unlike with Touch ID, users have only one face to use for their unlocking purposes. Touch ID ostensibly allows multiple fingers to be registered because you have quite a few digits of your own, and depending on how you’re using the device or in which pocket you keep it, one might be more convenient to use than another.
It’s a fair point, but as many have pointed out, many iPhone users like to share their device with family members and have no problem granting them unfettered access. This wasn’t a problem with Touch ID where one could register multiple digits, but alas, this won’t be possible with Face ID.
