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Comment by mandeepj | Hacker News Reader

> ergonomic button on the back.

That touchid on back is a huge fail from UX perspective. Samsung did it only because they could not do it from front side

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Why is that design a failure? My index finger is generally very near the Apple logo on my phone when I’m using it. It would be entirely convenient if the TouchID were there. It would actually be more comfortable than the current location that requires an awkward grip and thumb reach.

I use my phone a lot when it’s lying on a desk, can’t unlock it when the fingerprint sensor is on the back.

Besides, the convenience of TouchID is largely due to it being integrated in the home button, you’d lose that too.

> I use my phone a lot when it’s lying on a desk, can’t unlock it when the fingerprint sensor is on the back.

You can still unlock a phone via its PIN if you don't want to pick it up. (Edit: I have not owned an iPhone since the original. Does the iPhone not provide a PIN option when Touch ID is enabled?)

It does, but if anything that argument is a point in favor of “fingerprint sensor on the back is poor UX”.

It depends, if you consider using the phone while laying flat on a desk as a normal or edge case.

I'm not an UX designer, but I would optimize for the nominal case, rather than choosing a solution that is sub-optimal 90% of the time, but works better for the remaining 10%.

> It depends, if you consider using the phone while laying flat on a desk as a normal or edge case.

Seems like a perfectly normal use-case to me. I have it lying on my desk when I'm at work, which is 40 hours a week. I don't want to have to pick up my phone or enter a PIN every time I want to check an incoming iMessage, news alert, etc.

As a long-time iPhone user who had been using Pixel more frequently recently, the unlock phone-on-your-desk use-case is hugely problematic when you have fingerprint on the back and it is a huge pain point. I have a long passphrase for security but even entering a PIN is so 2012.

Fingerprint on the back is a major UX issue. I hope FaceID would work fine at an angle.

> That touchid on back is a huge fail from UX perspective.

How so? My wife's phone has a fingerprint sensor on the back and it works great. My phone has a retina scanner on the front, and it works less well. Sure, we'll eventually see scanning through the display [1], but until that happens the fingerprint sensor on the back works really well for me.

[1] http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2017/0257534.html

I have a Nexus 5x and it has a fingerprint sensor on the back and can confirm, works great. Anything else for me is YAGNI

I have both an S7 Edge (fingerprint reader on home button) and I've had 2 Nexus devices (6P and Pixel) with reader on back. I find the fingerprint sensor on the back to be far more user friendly than the awkward thumb button option. As others have said it is a natural location for your finger when holding the phone. Your use case is valid (phone is on flat surface), but the vast majority of people hold their phones during use rather than lay on flat surface.*

*citation needed, but I sincerely doubt this is hard to believe.

* it is a natural location for your finger when holding the phone*

Really? When I'm holding my phone (right hand), my fingers wrap around the left edge and my thumb rests along the right edge. Moving my thumb to the TouchId is easy. Moving my index finder to the center of the back panel is awkward.

> Really?

For me, for 3 years, yes. For you, clearly the answer is no. Everyone is different and that is great.

OP stated:

> That touchid on back is a huge fail from UX perspective.

This is a matter of opinion that was stated as fact. I've used both styles of phone (simultaneously) where the fingerprint sensor is on the thumb/home button v. on the back for a few years now. I prefer the sensor on the back. I am not alone in this opinion. Therefore, it is not a "huge UX fail". That is the point I was trying to make.

Out of curiosity, why do you think so? I've used fingerprint sensor from both front and back, and I find back more natural (my fingers usually rest on the back of the phone).

Not correct. Galaxy S7 has it in the front and it's a pain to use compared to Galaxy S8 which has the touch sensor much more ergonomically positioned at the back.

Source: owned both phones.

Give the Pixel 2's touch scanner a try. It's incredibly fast. I'm amazed every time I use it.

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