Should I buy the iPhone SE 2020 or wait for the iPhone 12? This is the question I've been chewing on while the coronavirus outbreak continues to prove that my iPhone 11's biometric authentication system is useless in the current climate.

The first time I wore a face mask to the pharmacy to shop for necessities, I found myself having to pull the cloth under my chin to authorize Apple Pay, and I walked out almost empty-handed. Not only was touching the mask against public health advice, but it completely undermined the value of contactless checkout.

If I had learned how to make a facemask at home and knew that I would have to wear one every time I left the house, I would not have replaced my beloved iPhone 8 Plus with Apple's latest flagship a few months ago. As my colleagues can attest, I have always been a Touch ID devotee, praying to the Cupertino gods before the fall keynote that the iPhone 11 would offer in-screen fingerprint recognition technology.

Obviously it didn't, but I upgraded anyway in search of its fast A13 bionic processor. And while my phone is indeed fast, Face ID has been the bane of my existence for the past few months. Whether half my face is pressed against a pillow or buried in gooey skincare products, entering my phone is always an annoying (but manageable) ordeal.

But now face masks are becoming the norm, and The Atlantic suggests that the U.S. is on the verge of reversing the stigma of mask-wearing, with every organization from the NBA to My Chemical Romance offering branded coverings.

Unless, however, you trade it in for the $399 iPhone SE 2020. After months of leaks and speculation, Apple finally announced the follow-up to its budget model from three years ago.

When I become eligible for an upgrade later this year, there is zero chance I will choose the iPhone 12 if it does not also have this feature. In fact, I don't think anyone should get a Face ID-only phone anytime soon.

Face ID is a more secure biometric tool, but it's not what we need right now. Sure, the Internet has provided a workaround for the iPhone to recognize you when you're wearing a mask, but it's time for Apple to provide both input methods, like some of Samsung's phones.

The iPhone SE is a capable yet economical option for those who don't want to or can't spend more than $400 on a smartphone.

Indeed, the iPhone SE represents an essential demographic that has been missing from Apple's lineup and could not have come at a more important time. The coronavirus continues to impact lives, careers, and incomes across the country, with CNN reporting that more than 22 million Americans have filed for unemployment in the past month.

And so should product accessibility.

We've heard that the iPhone 12 will have a smaller notch, and Face ID will definitely be included. But Apple would be wise to include Touch ID as well, in a more modern way.

The most reliable report we have seen that Touch ID will return in Apple's flagship is from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who stated that Apple may introduce an in-display fingerprint sensor in the iPhone to be released in 2021 He states that "Apple is likely to introduce an in-display fingerprint sensor in the iPhone released in 2021.

Perhaps Apple has accelerated its plans to incorporate a hidden fingerprint reader. However, until there is sufficient evidence of such an effort, the iPhone SE seems like the most practical iPhone to get now.

And if you see a blonde woman fiddling with a face mask and breaking her smartphone at the CVS self-checkout, feel free to pass that advice on to her.