iPhone 6s Plus Touch ID Much Quicker Than iPhone 6 Plus in New Hands-On Video

With the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, one well-known hardware feature got a substantial upgrade: Touch ID. Apple improved the Touch ID sensor, allowing it to recognize fingerprints faster than it could previously. We went hands-on with the brand new iPhone 6s Plus and compared its improved Touch ID sensor to the one in the iPhone 6 Plus.

Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.

The 6s Plus' Touch ID unlocks the phone almost instantaneously, taking a user straight to their Home Screen when they rest their finger on it. Comparatively, the speed of the 6 Plus' Touch ID makes it seem like a two-step feature, first waking up the display and then taking a user to the Home Screen.

On first impression, some users think the new Touch ID is too fast, however. Reddit user MasterofLuiz notes that it's so fast it affects how he usually uses his phone.

I can't even click the home button to check the clock without it automatically unlocking the phone. It's crazy

MacRumors forum member mykaluk has attempted to best the speed of the new Touch ID, attempting to tap the Home Button so quickly that it doesn't read his fingerprint. However, he notes that the Touch ID is able to read the fingerprint every time.

Be sure to check out the iPhone forum to join the discussion about the two new phones and their new features, or visit the iPhone accessories forum to see how the new cases look on the new devices, or whether existing cases fit the new devices. If you'd like to find out which apps take advantage of 3D Touch, make sure to check out the iOS Apps forum.

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Top Rated Comments

MacFan782040 Avatar
128 months ago
Too fast? Just unlock the phone with the sleep/wake button and not the home button.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hurleyint1386 Avatar
128 months ago
With the new 3D Touch, I'd like to force touch my display to turn it on for notifications to prevent it from auto-unlocking. I noticed that it unlocks much faster and I lose my home screen notifications.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JohnApples Avatar
128 months ago
On first impression ('https://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/25/iphone-6s-reader-first-impressions/'), some users think the new Touch ID is two fast, however. Reddit ('https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/3md414/the_iphone_6s_plus_touch_id_speed_is_insane/') user MasterofLuiz ('https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/3md414/the_iphone_6s_plus_touch_id_speed_is_insane/cveb9m8') notes that it's so fast it affects how he usually uses his phone.
"Too" fast you mean? :D

I think it's funny that some are complaining it's too fast. Lots of people saying it was too slow before with the 5S/6. Can't win can they lol.

I think it's great that it's "too fast". My dad refuses to use Touch ID because he says it's too slow (despite it taking no longer than manually "sliding to unlock"). He would definitely approve of this.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CmdrThor Avatar
128 months ago
No need to press the home button to check the clock when you have an Apple Watch :)
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Piggie Avatar
128 months ago
Why do we have so many "Dumb" people here? :(

Or course something can be too fast, just in the same way it can be too slow.
We seem to have people here who cannot grasp this.

If the Apple watch showed you the time and turned the screen off after 1 second, it would be too fast, and would need to be slowed down a bit.
The mouse speed in Windows and OSX has adjusters so that you can set things between slow and fast depending on your preference.

Why do we have so many numb nuts who don't understand that a feature that a human being has to interact with has to be set at a speed that's most comfortable for humans to use.
Too fast can be just as bad as too slow.

In an ideal world, a feature like TouchID would work instantly, and then you would have a small slider under settings to adjust how fast it reacted, then each user, old people and young children etc, could set a response speed that felt most comfortable to them.

It's not, as they say "Rocket Science" folks.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Oblivious.Robot Avatar
128 months ago
I'm hoping so! Though I'm not going to hold my breath. I may be pleasantly surprised come next year!

But... If they DID implement Touch ID into the screen.. how would you unlock your phone? Hit the sleep/wake button, then Touch ID to unlock? Or would the screen wake up just from sensing a touch? If the latter, wouldn't the screen potentially wake up from a lot of unintentional touches?
It's going to need some serious amount of work and effort when they design those devices.
That's why it'll be so much worth it!

I for one think that would sell like hot cakes, I'd probably buy two and I don't even know why. :D
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)