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Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

androidcentral.com

51–60 of 531 posts

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#51
post #7

They mention the Pixel and I just got to say, I wish someone would bring back the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. That was seriously the best solution. Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. I honestly don't get why people like Face ID more (what I currently use). Someone, please bring this back

> Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. You can also do this with under-screen fingerprint readers which are excellent these days.

Never worked out quite as well for me. There's no tactile feel, which is more important than people give credit for, especially when grabbing something without looking.

Plus, as others are pointing out, there's additional benefits

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#52
post #22
post #7

They mention the Pixel and I just got to say, I wish someone would bring back the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. That was seriously the best solution. Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. I honestly don't get why people like Face ID more (what I currently use). Someone, please bring this back

My main gripe with fingerprint sensors on the back is that it's easy to inadvertently smudge the camera lens when unlocking the phone. Some phones have/had fingerprint unlock on the side power button which is similarly convenient, although I actually don't mind the underscreen sensors that are most common these days. I do appreciate being able to sneak a peek at my phone by discreetly unlocking it at very oblique ang…

That's more a design failure of the camera system, not the fingerprint reader. You can have the best of both worlds here.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#53
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hold your phone. Where does your index finger sit?

Are we talking about holding the phone, or about taking it out of my pocket? Because, for the latter, my fingers are on the sides, including on the power button.

Your index finger is on the side? I have pretty big hands and long fingers, that's not how I hold my phone. I'm a bit weird and do pinky on button, three fingers in back, then thumb has ample room to navigate around the bottom half

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#54
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are we talking about holding the phone, or about taking it out of my pocket? Because, for the latter, my fingers are on the sides, including on the power button.

Your index finger is on the side? I have pretty big hands and long fingers, that's not how I hold my phone. I'm a bit weird and do pinky on button, three fingers in back, then thumb has ample room to navigate around the bottom half

No, my thumb is on the side, on the power button.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#55
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your index finger is on the side? I have pretty big hands and long fingers, that's not how I hold my phone. I'm a bit weird and do pinky on button, three fingers in back, then thumb has ample room to navigate around the bottom half

No, my thumb is on the side, on the power button.

Well my original question was where your index finger was, not your thumb

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#56
post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do the same with the sensor being on the lock button, why does it have to specifically be the back?

Who said it has to be on the back? Bro said that's what he prefers over Face ID, maybe just has never had one on the lock button.

I have. Better than FaceID and under screen but I still prefer on the back. It had other benefits and just felt nicer than in the lock button

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#57
post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, my thumb is on the side, on the power button.

Well my original question was where your index finger was, not your thumb

The original topic was about unlocking your phone while taking it out of your pocket, which is done with the thumb.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#58
post #7

They mention the Pixel and I just got to say, I wish someone would bring back the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. That was seriously the best solution. Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. I honestly don't get why people like Face ID more (what I currently use). Someone, please bring this back

> Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. You can also do this with under-screen fingerprint readers which are excellent these days.

I have never been able to unlock my under-screen fingerprint reader by taking it out of my pocket. This is because the reader isn't in a good position when the phone is in my pocket. Yes, it's where my thumb is when properly holding my phone, but my grip is different when pulling the phone out of my pocket. My older phone with the reader on the back had my index finger in position before I even attempted to take out of my pocket. It was slower at reading my prints, but was always unlocked before I looked at the screen.

I'd love to use the old phone for so many reasons, but the lack of updates has rendered it useless. No Lineage or Graphene for that one either.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#59
post #7

They mention the Pixel and I just got to say, I wish someone would bring back the fingerprint reader on the back of the phone. That was seriously the best solution. Fastest way to unlock your phone, because no matter how slow the fingerprint reader is you activate it while pulling it out of your pocket. I honestly don't get why people like Face ID more (what I currently use). Someone, please bring this back

> I honestly don't get why people like Face ID more

Because good luck using that fingerprint sensor while wearing gloves, e.g. during garden work, while on a motorcycle ride, or in winter.

Re: Fairphone 6 is switching to a new design that's even more sustainable

#60
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If it doesn't have to be on the back, he can just buy a phone with a fingerprint reader on the side today.

I see what you mean now. Having owned both kinds (and under-screen), I think they still have a point though - on the back was (slightly) better and I wish they'd come back.

I would personally rank a traditional iPhone home button sensor and the backside sensors on certain Android devices as equally great for unlocking while sliding the phone out of a pocket and general convenience.

Side button sensors work OK, too but I have much more misses on my supposedly more "modern" side button sensor phone than I ever had on old Pixels or any old iPhone with a home button sensor. I assume this is due to the size and general shape of a side button in comparison to an iPhone-style home button or old-Pixel-style back sensor which are bigger, indented and finger-guiding.

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