With the release of the review, all four iPhone 13 models have once again set the standard for smartphones. iPhone 13 Pro Max, with its improved camera, impressive battery life, and great display with dynamically adjustable refresh rate, The iPhone 13 Pro is essentially the same, only $100 cheaper. And the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini have their own advantages, making them more than just an afterthought to the iPhone 13 Pro option.

And as good as these phones are, they are still hard to unlock.

I am not talking about when you are in the comfort of your office. But, as it should be in this age of COVID-19 Delta variants, unlocking an iPhone 13 is still as complicated as ever when you are out and about and others are wearing masks.

Face ID is so secure because it reads your *whole face*, not just the flat areas around your eyes and hickey. This makes Face ID hard to fool, and it can be used not only to unlock your phone, but also to authenticate mobile payments. However, if you wear a face mask, the iPhone's TrueDepth camera cannot see the curve of your mouth and chin. Therefore, you have to carefully enter the passcode as if you were living in an uncivilized age.

It didn't necessarily have to be this way. Apple had several options at its disposal to simplify unlocking the iPhone with the iPhone 13, but either failed to implement them or chose not to.

The most obvious change would be to add some sort of in-display fingerprint sensor, unlike the ultrasonic sensor found in the Galaxy S21 lineup. In-display sensors have become very ubiquitous on the Android side and have recently been seen on mid-range devices.

The trouble with in-display sensors is that they are hit or miss. It takes some effort for these sensors to read the finger correctly, and some models require two or three attempts to unlock with the in-display sensor. For Apple, which values the user experience over many other factors, this is inefficient and understandably so. Apple does not intend to use such sensors unless they work reliably at all times.

However, there is more than one way to read fingerprints. Apple is surely aware of this method, as it uses it on some iPads. Fingerprint sensors can also be embedded in the device's power and home buttons. Samsung has used this in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Apple has used this in the iPad 9 and iPad Air 4. Why Apple omitted such an approach in the iPhone 13 is something Apple should explain. [iOS 14.5 introduced a workaround that allows users to unlock their phones when wearing an Apple Watch using the proximity sensor. But that's as far as it goes. Not only does this method not confirm payment, it obviously requires the Apple Watch to be worn. For some of us, that's not going to happen. And an answer to "How do I unlock a new phone that costs more than $699?" that begins "First buy a $199 watch" is not a good answer at all.

I am hopeful that there is a way to solve the iPhone face mask problem and that it will be implemented through a software fix. before the iPhone13 is released, Apple will allow people wearing face masks to use the unlock feature. Rumors circulated that the company was testing Face ID hardware. Even if that feature was not ready when the iPhone 13 debuted, the rumor was that it could always be enabled later if Apple tweaked the software. There were even leaked images of a dummy prototype that Apple employees were allegedly using to test things out.

Now, this could be another one of those swing-and-a-miss rumors that pop up before the phone launches, and there could be no such update in the works. But it's not entirely improbable, and it's certainly better than giving up fiddling with passcodes between now and when the iPhone 14 is released.

Like it or not, the mask will be around for a while. Even if COVID dips its heels, there is still the small matter of wildfires triggered by climate change, and we need to wear protective face gear often. iPhone13 models are good, but if Apple can find a way to reflect our new reality, It will be even better.