Since the iPhone X was announced, Apple has marketed its
Face ID feature as purely a security enhancement, designed
to increase the security of the unit tenfold over its
earlier fingerprint ID technology.
But I believe Face ID's hidden purpose is to combat
distracted driving — or at least provide a mitigation
strategy for the company. Intentions aside, Apple has
made using an iPhone in a car significantly more
inconvenient than ever.
"1 out of every 4 car accidents
in the United States is caused by texting and driving.
Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an
accident than driving drunk."
Do Not Disturb While Driving
iOS 11 contains a key enhancement in this regard — its
Do Not Disturb While Driving feature activates automatically
by default when your phone connects to a Bluetooth system
in a car, or when you're traveling at a relatively high rate
of speed (determined through Location Services). While the
service is engaged, use of the phone is permissable only
after you signify that you're not driving — performed through
an extra tap on the phone's lock screen. Players of Niantic's
Pokemon Go! might recognize this from the game — if
location services detects that you're moving rapidly, the
game makes you acknowledge an "I'm a passenger" alert.
Face ID Demands Your Attention
Face ID completely ups the ante on Apple's anti-driving
campaign because, by default, Face ID requires you to look
directly at your phone before unlocking it (Apple calls this
"requiring attention"), and applies attention awareness to
other features, like dimming the phone's display. (See
Settings > Face ID & Passcode for the settings.)
The new unit also forces requirement of a passcode immediately,
without any other option or the possibility of disabling
the requirement (see Settings > Face ID & Passcode > Require
Passcode). What this essentially means is you can no
longer just unlock your phone, keep it in your lap and
casually use it in the car. The iPhone X
and iOS 11 demand you bring the phone up to your face to
unlock it, OR make you unlock it by typing in your code
if you're not using it continuously.
Cheap Sunglasses
Another note for mobile users (pun intended): Face ID
probably won't work if you're wearing sunglasses (it
doesn't work when I'm wearing mine). So now, in
addition to having to bring the unit up to your face and
to look right at it, you've also got to take off your
sunglasses.
Who wants to have to do all of that stuff from a car
seat?
"Apple has made using an iPhone in a car significantly more
inconvenient than ever."
Distracted Driving
So now I feel obligated to insert some data about
traffic fatalities related to distracted driving and
mobile phone use, to highlight the problem. To be
fair, the numbers are alarming. According to statistics
offered by a personal injury law firm, quoting the
National Safety Council, "1 out of every 4 car accidents
in the United States is caused by texting and driving.
Texting while driving is 6x more likely to cause an
accident than driving drunk."
1
With figures like these, it seems petty to argue whether
Apple is acting to protect consumers or to protect itself.
Besides, one could also argue that Apple is incentivized to
make these changes to their products to keep people alive so
they can buy more of their products — or, in the case of
younger consumers, appeal to their parents. (Cell phone use is highest
among 16 - 24 year olds.)
2
I'm not saying these things to act in poor taste; I'm
merely exploring Apple's rationale for making the changes
I'm griping about.
Not Yet Sure How I Feel About It
Yes, this makes me one of the 660,000 guilty of using a
mobile phone in some way while in a car. I also wrote some
software called "AUTOreply" several years ago for my Android
phone because I was tired of constant text messages while I
was driving.
Typically if I'm using the phone, I'm answering it over the
car's stereo in a hands-free way. Sometimes, I make calls, too
— and Apple's now made it really difficult for me to do that,
because dictation doesn't work well through my older car's
system (hmm.... are they trying to boost sales of CarPlay-equipped
units too?) I'm still against texting.
The design changes of the iPhone X absolutely discourage
any active use of the unit while driving or even just being
in a car, and for good reason.
Over time, I'm sure I'll get used to them; right
now, I guess I'm too familiar with the relative convenience
my 7 Plus offered, and find myself wanting it back.