Pixel 4 To Have Face ID? Google Testing Feature In Public

Google is introducing its own version of Face ID with the Pixel 4 smartphones.

Previous reports indicated that Google has decided to take a big leap of faith and ditch the notch to put a bezel on the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. Earlier, only the Pixel 4 XL was rumored to have a large bezel in lieu of the notch, but recent leaks (via noted tipster Ice Universe) showed that both Pixel 4 models will have it.

The large bezel gives room to a slew of components that can be used for a lot of applications. It has a large room that’s enough to fit a module that can give the Pixel 4 smartphones a function that works like Apple’s Face ID on the iPhone.

Indeed, Google wants the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL to have a Face ID function of its own, one that works in a similar fashion to the one on the Apple device. A report from ZDNet confirms this.

A face in exchange for $5

According to the report, Google employees are going around places, walking to people and asking them if they’d like to participate in a “survey” in exchange for a $5 gift card that can be used on Amazon or Starbucks.

These “Googlologists,” as the reporter called them, would approach people, explain they’re from Google, and then tell them “we’re collecting data to improve the next generation of facial recognition phone unlocking.”

Those who say “yes” to the Googlologists will be handed a “phone in a very large case,” use the camera’s selfie mode, and had to move their face around so that the phone can capture images of the participant in different angles.

The “very large case” made it impossible for participants to determine what kind of phone they were handed for use on the task. The participants weren’t able to identify the phone, whether it was a new Pixel prototype or an older, existing model.

After that, the Google employees will hand participants the promised $5 gift card in exchange for five minutes of selfie mode on the phone.

The Google employees said they have many teams doing the same thing in many different cities. Obviously, Google wants its own Face ID function, and is likely to reveal it when it’s ready.