2017-2018 was an interesting juncture for both Apple and Samsung. Around that time, each company shifted its approach to mobile security. Apple embraced Face ID in late 2017, and a year later, Samsung released the last Galaxy phone equipped with an iris scanner — the Galaxy Note 9.

Today, their strategies couldn’t be more different. Samsung relies entirely on fingerprint recognition, while Apple doubles down on Face ID — facial scanning backed by advanced 3D mapping. Ask anyone, and they’ll tell you both methods have pros and cons.

Personally, I prefer the convenience of the fingerprint scanner and the fact that it’s hidden under the display, allowing for much smaller cutouts on Galaxy devices compared to iPhones.

But credit where credit is due. One security aspect makes iPhones a better choice than Galaxy phones in certain scenarios. And some people might need to sacrifice a little bit of convenience for a little bit of extra security.

In theory, it’s much harder to unlock an iPhone without authorization if the owner is sleeping or unconscious. By contrast, it’s easier to unlock a Galaxy phone by scanning the owner’s fingerprint in the same situation.

Thankfully, I’ve never had to deal with either scenario, but even imagining them highlights an inherent advantage of Face ID over fingerprint scanning.

And even though Face ID doesn't scan irises in the same manner older Galaxy phones did, it can detect whether your eyes are closed. With Attention Aware enabled, an iPhone won’t unlock if the person it scans has their eyes shut.

If privacy and security are your top priorities, Apple’s Face ID is arguably the superior solution for the reason detailed above. But that alone has never been enough to make me switch from a Galaxy phone.

While Face ID may offer stronger security on paper, it’s not always as convenient as fingerprint scanning. It can struggle after major appearance changes and still requires a sizable screen cutout — though Apple may be exploring under-display solutions, possibly with Samsung’s help.

Ironically, Samsung might have had the strongest security setup in the late 2010s. Galaxy flagships once featured iris scanners, which, in theory, are more secure than both fingerprint readers and Face ID.

While highly secure, iris scanners had their own drawbacks. They were slower, required precise positioning, and could be disrupted by glasses, reflections, or direct sunlight. Plus, spoofing them with high-resolution eye photos was difficult, but not impossible.

All things considered, Apple's modern iPhones may have the edge in privacy thanks to Face ID. Samsung, on the other hand, may have chosen the least compromised solution overall. Does that make fingerprint scanning the most reliable method? No, but it might be the most practical.

Fingerprint scanners are compact, don't demand a large display cutout, and unlike iris scanners, don't require careful alignment every time you attempt to unlock your phone.

Samsung could eventually develop something better. Under-display facial recognition sounds ideal on paper, but it hasn’t materialized yet. And if it does, Apple might be first to ship it. Until then, I think fingerprint scanners are secure enough for the vast majority of users.

Author's note: While Samsung Galaxy phones have a face scanning security feature, it requires on the selfie camera and isn't nearly as reliable and fast as Apple's Face ID. However, face scanning and fingerprint authentication can be combined for even more convenience.