Google's Upcoming Pixel 4 Smartphone Features Face Unlock and Gesture Recognition

Ahead of the launch of its new flagship smartphone, the Pixel 4, Google has been sharing details on the device to get ahead of leaks.

The design of the Pixel 4 was unveiled in June, and today, Google offered up a look at some of the features that will be included in the new smartphone, including Face Unlock and Motion Sense.


Face Unlock is designed to unlock the Pixel 4 much like Face ID unlocks modern iPhones, and the Pixel 4 is even using a 3D sensing camera similar to the iPhone X and later.

There are two Face Unlock IR cameras, an ambient light/proximity sensor, a Soli radar chip that powers Face Unlock and other features, a dot projector, and a Face Unlock flood illuminator.

The Face Unlock feature on the Google Pixel 4 will support secure payments and app authentication, which is unique as most Android devices do not have a secure enough facial recognition system to allow it to be used for payments.

googlepixel4camerasystem
Google says that it is designing its facial recognition system differently than Apple's, making it a more fluid experience that works in any orientation.

According to Google, when you reach for the Pixel 4, the face unlock sensors are activated, recognizing that you want to unlock your phone. If the face unlock sensor recognizes you, the phone will open as you pick it up, all in one motion.

Google suggests this is superior to other methods such as the ‌Face ID‌ unlocking sequence on iPhones. "Other phones require you to lift the device all the way up, pose in a certain way, wait for it to unlock, and then swipe to get to the homescreen," read's Google's blog post on the feature. "Pixel 4 does all of that in a much more streamlined way."

As with ‌Face ID‌, Face Unlock works on device, so no facial recognition data is shared with Google or Google services. Google says that face data is stored in the Pixel's Titan M security chip, which sounds similar to the Secure Enclave used in Apple's iPhones.

The aforementioned Soli radar chip is designed to sense small motions around the phone, which enables the sensors to activate when you reach for the device and also powers a new Motion Sense feature. Motion Sense will allow users to skip songs, snooze alarms, and silence phone calls by waving a hand in front of the phone.

Rumors have suggested that Apple is also working on iPhones that will incorporate touchless gesture controls for release in the future, though we've heard little about the feature and it's not known when iPhones with this functionality might launch.

As with Google's Motion Sense feature, rumors about Apple's work on gesture-based controls indicate that ‌iPhone‌ users would be able to navigate the operating system by moving their finger close to the screen without actually tapping it.

There's no official word on when Google will launch the Pixel 4, but past Pixel devices have come out in October, so it's likely that this year's launch will also be in October. That'll allow Google to release its new flagship device approximately a month after Apple unveils its new 2019 ‌iPhone‌ lineup in September.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 16 New Features

Friday July 11, 2025 12:40 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are only two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:A redesigned Dynamic Island: It has been rumored that all iPhone 17 models will have a redesigned Dynamic Island interface — it might ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iPhone 17 Air Colors Thumb 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air Rumored to Come in These 9 Colors

Friday July 11, 2025 12:30 am PDT by
The iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air will be available in a total of nine color options, according to new information coming out of Asia. The iPhone 17 Air's expected color options. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean blog Naver, accessory manufacturers are now producing camera protector rings for the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Air in colors to match their...
11th gen ipad blue

Apple to Launch New Low-Cost 11-Inch iPad in the Spring

Friday July 11, 2025 3:40 am PDT by
Apple will launch a new 12th generation entry-level iPad in the spring of next year, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple is said to have two versions of the entry-level 11-inch iPad in development, codenamed J581 and J582. These could refer to different storage capacities – in which case, Apple may be planning to drop the existing lowest capacity option. The current iPad 11 is...

Top Rated Comments

ItsGavinC Avatar
78 months ago
"Other phones require you to lift the device all the way up, pose in a certain way, wait for it to unlock, and then swipe to get to the homescreen,"

Google, you didn't even try. On my Xs I have to:

- Reach for my phone
- Grab it
- Lift it
- Face my phone
- Wait
- Put a finger on the screen
- Swipe up
- Lift the finger

So many steps, Pixel is better
Can't tell if this is sarcasm or not. Literally all you have to do is pick it up and look at it while swiping up. That's it. In fact, you can swipe up before you look at it and it will unlock after it recognizes your face. You can swipe up before you even pick it up and it will unlock to home screen after you look at it.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
osx86 Avatar
78 months ago
CTL-C..... CTL-V
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BigDO Avatar
78 months ago
I see salt dispensation is in full swing already.

Google seems to be doing exactly what fans always commend apple on - take a good idea, and improve the execution.

For all thatbFaceID does right, it has shortcomings. I am very keen to see if Google can make it better.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macmikey2 Avatar
78 months ago
Yes, many comments on here about how Apple is better because they wait until they get it right before releasing something, but FaceID isn't it. It is nowhere near as fluid as TouchID, nor is it as fast. I have to manually type my passcode in far more on FaceID than I ever had to on TouchID.

And before people talk about it being so much more secure, show me where and who has cracked the TouchID protection, and why it is all of a sudden so inferior?
I have 2 Xs phones and they unlock faster than I pick them up. And if all I want to do is look at time or notifications, it locks again. No need to swipe or press a button to lock. Sorry, but this is way faster than touchID which I had to turn off the last phone I had. And I really don't want someone picking up my phone and have it unlock from a block away.

I'd suggest running through the recognition setup again and pay attention as it scans yo to make sure it sees all sides. I mean really, I never type my passcode anymore except after an update or restart.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Heineken Avatar
78 months ago
Almost 2 years later ...
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
davenlm Avatar
78 months ago
Apparently it also can float in front of your face... That is an actual innovation!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)