Apple is trying to emulate Android’s Smart Lock feature, but limiting its usability to those who have bought an Apple Watch.
Apple is readying the next update for its iOS operating system for iPhones, and the new version tries to solve a very pandemic-specific problem. Ever since we started wearing masks, the company’s Face ID technology has been somewhat cumbersome for users. It can’t recognise our faces with masks on. So, Apple has a temporary solution that applies to those who have an Apple Watch. If you have one, iOS 14.5 will let you unlock your iPhone with the watch. Picking up the iPhone will result in a haptic tap on you wrist from the Watch, which tells you that the phone is now unlocked. Of course, the Watch has to be in the vicinity of the phone and it’s unclear what distance is permissible for using the Watch to unlock the iPhone.
