Google Pixel 4 leak suggests that we might be getting gesture control

Having already been revealed by Google in some measure, the upcoming Pixel 4 is clearly all set to spring many more surprises on us. After rumors started going around that the flagship device will host gesture control, a set of leaked photos featuring the detached bezels for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL appear to finally confirm that widespread belief.

Ever-reliable tipster Ice Universe has acquired photos of the Pixel 4 that showcase an oval hole on the far right side. Since this particular orifice is not visibly hosting any cameras or sensors, it makes sense to assume that this is the resting place for the Project Soli radar system that will allow users to employ their gestures to control the device instead of touching the screen.

What is Project Soli all about, you may ask? Initiated by Google’s ATAP team, the project focuses on creating a system for integration smartphones and wearables that uses radar technology to detect your gestures and use them to execute the normal functions on your device. The radar system measures doppler image, IQ and spectrogram, while the underlying chip is able to use these measurements to recognize movement, velocity and distance.

While this breakthrough gives us every reason to eagerly anticipate the arrival of the Pixel 4, it does raise a few questions. Will users have an option to deactivate it? How exactly is the system going to distinguish between its user’s gestures and those of others? Is this going to spark a trend of thick top bezels on all upcoming Pixel smartphones?

We’ll have to wait for the answers, but for now, it is worth admiring the effort that Google is putting into its upcoming flagship that is all set to be released in early fall.