The iPhone 5s became another hit for Apple when it launched on September 20, mainly due to the innovative Touch ID fingerprint sensor feature.
Touted as sending biometric security to mainstream, the Touch ID reads an iPhone owner's fingerprint and compares it to a numerical representation stored on the device.
However, if recent complaints mean anything, the sensor may be a bit unreliable, as hundreds of people have taken to Twitter and Apple forums to share frustrations due to failed fingerprint recognition.
Apple's website has a "Touch ID being Erratic" forum, which has been viewed over 27,700 times. One Apple forum user said that the feature is "not ready for primetime it seems."
Another wrote, "My wife has been having the problem since iOS 7, 7.0.1 and 7.0.2. Thought the updates might have helped. We have tried left thumb, right thumb, and pointer finger. Maybe all work less than 50 percent of the time. However, my right thumb seems to work almost 100 percent of the time. What is up with this crappola?"
Wall Street Journal editor Dennis K. Berman was among those left frustrated by the fingerprint scanner's low success rate.
"After a month with iPhone 5s, I can report the fingerprint sensor is just like Siri - it works a very frustrating 70 percent of the time," Berman tweeted.
After a month with iPhone 5S, I can report the fingerprint sensor is just like Siri - it works a very frustrating 70% of the time.
— Dennis K. Berman (@dkberman) November 12, 2013
Most iPhone 5s users say the Touch ID worked for them less than 75 percent of the time. A majority of the reported complaints center on the Touch ID working well initially before deteriorating over time.
There may be some "work arounds" to the issue by erasing all fingerprints saved on the device and starting from scratch along making sure hands are at optimal temperature or not too sweaty.
Hopefully Apple will release a permament solution to the problem soon.
