Tognazzini Suggests Using A Smartwatch To Replace Unlock Passcodes As An Authorisation Mechanism
The watch can and should, for most of us, eliminate passcodes altogether on iPhones, and Macs and, if Apple’s smart, PCs: As long as my watch is in range, let me in! That, to me, would be the single-most compelling feature a smartwatch could offer: If the watch did nothing but release me from having to enter my passcode/password 10 to 20 times a day, I would buy it. If the watch would just free me from having to enter pass codes, I would buy it even if it couldn’t tell the right time!
So you have to the inconvenience of carrying another device with you in order to have the convenience of PIN-less entry? Doesn’t seem worth the effort. It’s not just the burden of carrying another thing. Inevitably, a smartwatch would need maintenance, be that charging, updating, and other similar procedures.
If Apple is going to eliminate the passcode successfully, it needs to be built-in to the phone hardware. Fingerprint biometrics seem like a more practical, elegant and realistic solution.