Google confirms Pixel 4 will have touch-free gesture controls and face unlock features

The tech behemoth Google has once again started confirming the hypothetical rumors of the upcoming phones. Google has recently teased its upcoming Google Pixel 4 phone, which the company is expected to announce later this year. Previously, Google confirmed its squared camera design in a tweet that first revealed what Google is working on these days.

The tech titan posted a short video on Twitter showing how users will be able to control the phone without touching by using hand gestures. Other cool features confirmed by the company include Face-unlock and camera improvements using AI. Google also explained how the feature works in a blog post.

The short video clip starts by showing a user unlocking the Pixel 4 by looking at it, similar to how Apple’s Face ID works on the iPhone. Notably, the Android phone face-unlock mechanisms haven’t been as secure as Face ID, and Android phones have instead relied on fingerprint readers for security and face unlock for convenience. Google says this is more secure now. As the company explained in its blog post;

“Face unlock uses facial recognition technology that is processed on your device, so that image data never leaves your phone. The images used for face unlock are never saved or shared with other Google services.”

Meanwhile, Motion Sense in upcoming Pixel phone is made possible by Soli, a motion-sensing radar. Google says it has been working on the feature for around five years. It appears that Soli is a scaled-down version of the common technology, but used to detect intricate finger gestures instead of planes and ships.

The feature will also enable consumers to use it for simple controls, like switching songs or apps, which makes it sound a lot like the LG G8’s Hand ID gesture control. Interestingly, Google mentions that Motion Sense will only be available in “select Pixel countries.”

While addressing your concerns regarding security and privacy Google says that “the images used for face unlock are never saved or shared with other Google services. To protect your privacy and security, your face data is securely stored in Pixel’s Titan M security chip.”

The Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL are expected to launch sometime in November.