iPhone X was the first device to introduce Face ID. It was only capable of working vertically, and unlocking an iPhone horizontally would make the TrueDepth camera system not recognize the user.
So Apple prevented the home screen from rotating to provide a seamless experience. And in this way, users will subconsciously learn to hold their phones vertically.
In iOS 14 update, Widgets on the home screen were one of its standout features. These tiles displayed information at a glance and were previously only available in Today View.
Widgets on the home screen, however, presented a design issue. Because when the user rotated their phone, the widgets crammed onto the home screen in portrait wouldn’t function.
In iOS 16, Apple has added support for landscape Face ID on iPhone 13 models. It could be a sign that Apple is getting ready to roll out a new landscape home screen feature in a later release of iOS.