Apple delays Face ID for 2021 iMac

Posted:
in General Discussion
Reportedly, Apple's 2021 redesign for the iMac will not include Face ID as previously expected.

Apple's 27-inch iMac
Apple's 27-inch iMac


Apple has been working on bringing Face ID to the iMac, but a new report says the feature is unlikely to be released in 2021.

According to Bloomberg, Apple had is planning to incorporate iPhone-like user authentication with Face ID on the iMac -- but not in the forthcoming refresh.

Now the publication, citing unnamed sources, says that it is more likely that the feature will be included in a second iteration of the design. Previously it had been expected that Face ID would also come to the MacBook Pro, but Bloomberg has no further details of that.

Recent reports suggest that the 2021 redesigned iMac will resemble a version of the Pro Display XDR, with its slimmer bezels. The new Apple Silicon iMac is also expected to lose its famous chin, and be released as a flatter device than before.
patchythepirate
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 24
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 
    TheObannonFilelibertyandfreesailorpaulelijahgMplsPpatchythepiraterundhvidwatto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 24
    Sometimes tech companies need to slow down the product treadmill to lock sync with what their users need. 

    The M1 Macs coming out in old garb were okay — Apple needed to get them out quickly and the upgraded internals thoroughly justified need. 

    The next cycle needs to see the externals thoroughly revamped.

    “Do it once, do it right” — as the adage goes. 


    TheObannonFilewatto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 24
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 
    Doesn't really apply to FaceID, it's passive functionality, and is integrated into a broader authentication. 
    StrangeDays
  • Reply 4 of 24
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 
    The Touch Bar never became popular because most users simply don’t see much value in it. 

    Extending the TB to external keyboards would have been problematic because of the need to encrypt the fingerprint sensor’s communication with the host Mac. Then there are also the issues of cost and compatibility with third party keyboards.

    I don’t mind the TB on my 2016 MBP, but I wouldn’t miss it either — as long as there’s a fingerprint sensor. Put it down as an interesting experiment that just didn’t work out.
    edited January 2021 chemengin1watto_cobradysamoria
  • Reply 5 of 24
    Iteration is one of Apple's biggest strengths. A newly redesigned iMac will sell very well, especially with the Apple silicon be it M1 or otherwise. The follow up iMac with Face ID will have another USP to boost sales yet again.

    Apple design is fantastic but their marketing is brilliant. It is always exciting to see new products being released but its always in the back of my mind that something even better will be along soon. I think this could be a very exciting year with some very desirable new iMacs and MacBooks being released. New designs plus new silicon will be very hard to resist. Face ID was nice on my iPhone until wearing a mask became part of my life and whilst it may be nice to have on a Mac I can wait for that. 
    edited January 2021 StrangeDaysJWSCentropyspatchythepiratewatto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 24
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    It is always exciting to see new products being released but its always in the back of my mind that something even better will be along soon.
    Beware of the Osborne Effect.
    selleringtonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 24
    neilm said:
    It is always exciting to see new products being released but its always in the back of my mind that something even better will be along soon.
    Beware of the Osborne Effect.
    Those “unnamed sources” tease us with the forthcoming releases. Some people always want the latest release and in Apple’s case that’s usually a substantial number. How often to upgrade is a personal decision but some people can rationalise anything.
    JWSCwatto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 24
    xyzzy01xyzzy01 Posts: 133member
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 

    Those are different. FaceID is an OS level authentication feature, and doesn't really need much in the way of application support. It would be useful on iMacs - very much so - but I don't think the "will not get used and vanish" is a scenario here.

    For the touch bar, I agree with you. When a lot of users don't have it - only some of the Macbook Pro users do - applications will often ignore it. Given that Apple has not brought it to standalone keyboards - like the one for iMac - or even the Macbook Air, it's obvious they're not planning for it to be a commonly used feature. App developers notice, and thus ignore it.


    sailorpaulStrangeDayselijahgmuthuk_vanalingamcaladanianwatto_cobra
  • Reply 9 of 24
    xyzzy01xyzzy01 Posts: 133member
    neilm said:
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 
    The Touch Bar never became popular because most users simply don’t see much value in it. 

    Extending the TB to external keyboards would have been problematic because of the need to encrypt the fingerprint sensor’s communication with the host Mac. Then there are also the issues of cost and compatibility with third party keyboards.

    I don’t mind the TB on my 2016 MBP, but I wouldn’t miss it either — as long as there’s a fingerprint sensor. Put it down as an interesting experiment that just didn’t work out.

    You can have the fingerprint sensor without the touch bar - e.g. the Macbook Air and the lower end Macbook Pros do.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 10 of 24
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 
    Except that doesn't seem true for FaceID whatsoever -- it's used in every new iPhone & iPad Pro. Developer support isn't a factor whatsoever. So it's not the same w/ the Touch Bar.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 11 of 24
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member
    neilm said:
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 
    Extending the TB to external keyboards would have been problematic because of the need to encrypt the fingerprint sensor’s communication with the host Mac. Then there are also the issues of cost and compatibility with third party keyboards.

    I don’t mind the TB on my 2016 MBP, but I wouldn’t miss it either — as long as there’s a fingerprint sensor. Put it down as an interesting experiment that just didn’t work out.
    The encryption works just fine for the Watch, no reason it couldn't use the same tech for the keyboard. But I do think fragmenting Macs such that some did and some didn't have the touch bar didn't help its adoption, even if it wasn't a great idea in the first place.
    muthuk_vanalingamcaladanian
  • Reply 12 of 24
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,753member

     It is always exciting to see new products being released but its always in the back of my mind that something even better will be along soon.
    Surely this is the case for almost every company? 

    sellerington said:
    Some people always want the latest release and in Apple’s case that’s usually a substantial number. How often to upgrade is a personal decision but some people can rationalise anything.

    Really? Most people even here don't upgrade their iPhones with every iteration, and I'd assume even less so with Macs as they're higher value generally. Is someone really going to spend $3000 one year then another $3000 the next just for FaceID? A few might but its definitely not a "substantial number". Why FaceID hasn't come to the desktop Mac before now though I'm not sure. Would be a really nice value-add option, though unlocking with the watch is just as quick as FaceID on the phone.
    edited January 2021 sellerington
  • Reply 13 of 24
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member
    neilm said:
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 
    The Touch Bar never became popular because most users simply don’t see much value in it. 

    Extending the TB to external keyboards would have been problematic because of the need to encrypt the fingerprint sensor’s communication with the host Mac. Then there are also the issues of cost and compatibility with third party keyboards.

    I don’t mind the TB on my 2016 MBP, but I wouldn’t miss it either — as long as there’s a fingerprint sensor. Put it down as an interesting experiment that just didn’t work out.

    I have always liked the concept of a Touch Bar. But not having used one extensively myself, I’m not the best judge.  Having read that people hate the Touch Bar because they keep touching it by accident, I understand now that this is a serious interface issue that must be addressed.

    I hope Apple does not give up on the Touch Bar.  But they need to bring a more tactile interface to it.  If not, perhaps the best thing to do is to remove it and start from scratch.  The reputation of the Touch Bar can’t take much more negative user experience.

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 14 of 24
    *If* it doesn’t show up, Apple didn’t delay it: the rumor reporter just GOT IT WRONG.
    selleringtonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 15 of 24
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    Count me among the people who are baffled by the lack of FaceID on iMacs and MacBooks. They don’t even need to make a notch for people to complain about!
    elijahgcaladanianwatto_cobra
  • Reply 16 of 24
    entropysentropys Posts: 4,152member
    Considering the next iMac will be to all intents and purposes a great big iPad Pro on a stick (hopefully with a swag of ports though), the only reason to not include faceID in the first one is to have something to add to the next one as an upsell.
    selleringtonpatchythepiratemuthuk_vanalingamioniclemichelb76watto_cobra
  • Reply 17 of 24
    elijahg said:

    sellerington said:
    Some people always want the latest release and in Apple’s case that’s usually a substantial number. How often to upgrade is a personal decision but some people can rationalise anything.

    Really? Most people even here don't upgrade their iPhones with every iteration, and I'd assume even less so with Macs as they're higher value generally. Is someone really going to spend $3000 one year then another $3000 the next just for FaceID? A few might but its definitely not a "substantial number". Why FaceID hasn't come to the desktop Mac before now though I'm not sure. Would be a really nice value-add option, though unlocking with the watch is just as quick as FaceID on the phone.
    A substantial number of people wanting the latest Apple iPhone doesn't necessarily equate to most people upgrading from the previous version, although some people do. The substantial numbers Apple achieve come from people being on differing upgrade cycles and I agree Mac upgrades are generally much longer than iPhone. I wouldn't expect many people to upgrade a Mac just for Face ID although some (with more money than sense?) no doubt would. its more of a cumulative affect and it may be a tipping point for some on different upgrade cycle.

    My MacBook Air dates from 2011 so that should be my next upgrade and I will be more than happy with being to unlock via my Watch Series 5 (which I just upgraded to from a Series 3). 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 18 of 24
    Welp, that’s very disappointing, but I do appreciate this info being leaked out. It would’ve have been a huge disappointment if I was holding my breath for this. I realize Apple tries to spread out the enthusiasm with iterative improvements for the sake of predictable sales growth (which is their prerogative as the far and away leader of consumer electronics), but it would be nice for them to go more all-in sometimes. I’ve been craving an iMac so bad, but I’m going to wait. Maybe I’ll buy a refurbished 21” to hold me over until Face ID is included, not sure yet. But Apple, please, for the love of ‘Social Justice,’ please make the second gen Apple Silicon iMac more than just a Face ID update to make it worth the wait. Thank you!
    edited January 2021
  • Reply 19 of 24
    neilmneilm Posts: 985member
    xyzzy01 said:
    neilm said:
    What takes them so long?! ...it’s the same with the Touch Bar - it never could get hold because the external keyboards didn’t have it. It’s either all or nothing - if a function is not widely supported it will not get used and vanish again. 
    The Touch Bar never became popular because most users simply don’t see much value in it. 

    Extending the TB to external keyboards would have been problematic because of the need to encrypt the fingerprint sensor’s communication with the host Mac. Then there are also the issues of cost and compatibility with third party keyboards.

    I don’t mind the TB on my 2016 MBP, but I wouldn’t miss it either — as long as there’s a fingerprint sensor. Put it down as an interesting experiment that just didn’t work out.

    You can have the fingerprint sensor without the touch bar - e.g. the Macbook Air and the lower end Macbook Pros do.
    Uh, I think we all know that.
  • Reply 20 of 24
    Welp, that’s very disappointing, but I do appreciate this info being leaked out. It would’ve have been a huge disappointment if I was holding my breath for this. I realize Apple tries to spread out the enthusiasm with iterative improvements for the sake of predictable sales growth (which is their prerogative as the far and away leader of consumer electronics), but it would be nice for them to go more all-in sometimes. I’ve been craving an iMac so bad, but I’m going to wait. Maybe I’ll buy a refurbished 21” to hold me over until Face ID is included, not sure yet. But Apple, please, for the love of ‘Social Justice,’ please make the second gen Apple Silicon iMac more than just a Face ID update to make it worth the wait. Thank you!
    —like, say, upending the status quo by moving their entire lineup of pc’s from the x86-industry consensus to a radical new take on chip-design within 2 years? 😉🍏👀
    watto_cobra
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