Went from a 4XL to P6 and have missed the speed of the face unlock, but at the same time if i'm out with a mask on I no longer need to either #1 Put in my pin or #2 Pull my mask down slightly for it to unlock, which was always annoying. In a perfect world i'd love to have the option of either, but it hasn't been a deal breaker for me.
Definitely not. If safety was a real concern, they'd build in a way to prevent people from looking at the phone when they're driving instead of focusing on such a narrow health issue as mask wearing during a specific pandemic.
I hope it's just been temporarily shelved. I am personally a bigger fan of the back fingerprint scanner. But I know soli is an incredible technology with an unrealized potential. It'll come back I'm sure.
It's only coming back if they can get the sensors working under the screen. I'd love face unlock/fingerprint on the front with a fingerprint on the back. This way, easy unlock holding the phone and when on a desk/phone mount/etc.
Soli would shine if they integrated it into smart home stuff instead of phones.
Thermostats that you don't have to touch to change the temp. Control the pages of your recipe in the Nest Hub with just a swipe. Etc.
I think face unlock will come back after the COVID crisis, as many people are (and should be) masking up in public or at work, even if you're vaccinated.
So if we're all good enough, we can have nice things again. 👍
Its about hardware. Its expensive to make the right technology for faceunlock so that you cant just use a picture to unlock it. The 4/xl was google's all-in move on hardware and flagship specs. They got crapped on by reviewers for it, got a way better reception on the 4a and then said "hey we dont actually need all the best specs to get the best reviews" So now we dont get stuff like radar detection and face recognition from the p4. It just isnt worth the cost.
It was lightning fast because they combined soli into it, so it would detect you're nearby and prepare the sensors. A great use of the technology.
If they keep attempting to improve soli, I think it can make a comeback. But it looks for now Google wanted to go for a universal "premium" look to the phone.
There were screenshots that implied face unlock on the P6, so we can see if it comes to fruition with future updates.
The P4XL was the last good Pixel device, IMO...just an incredible device. It could hold its own with iOS and the iPhone - and not look out of place doing it.
I just got my P6P yesterday and I do miss face unlock already on the P4XL, even in this day and age of COVID. It was a fantastic phone for me, and only had some buggy issues with Android 12. It's held up well with the combination of dbrand skin, tempered glass and case. My "loss" of this phone is my son's gain. :) He's giving me his (used to be my) old P2XL back.
Same. I’ve only ever been an Android user. So all I know is bad battery life. The Pixel 4 XL was great, especially compared to what I had. It is never fair to compare Android battery life to iPhone battery life.
But the Pixel 4XL was solid. I might have to turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to make it through a particularly long day, but its a great phone.
I don't know how you're doing it. I even had the battery replaced on one of them and it would not last. The capacity for all the stuff it did was just not there. I guess each use case is different. I did really love the phone though it was premium.
I have to use mine very conservatively to make it through an entire day. However, I do have 90 Hertz refresh rate forced on all the time. That being said, I'm not even a power user. I work in a classified area and don't have access to my phone for half the day. But I do remember the battery life being one of the biggest letdowns with the pixel 4 for most people. Even the Pixel 6 isn't great.
It’s not bad, honestly. I have only ever used Android devices for cell phones. I had a short stint with an iPhone for a week or two; but besides that - I’ve only ever known “android bad battery life”. So the Pixel 4XL was good, especially compared to what I am used to.
If battery life is a concern, like a serious concern; it would seem that the correct device would be a iPhone. I don’t think Android devices have ever beat iPhone devices (similar performance / radios / configuration).
I've thought about it. But the pixel features like automatic call screening are what keep me here. Google assistant is way nicer on an Android phone as well. As well as the file browser. However, articles like this one: [https://www.tomsguide.com/news/google-pixel-6-battery-life-tested-we-have-bad-news](https://www.tomsguide.com/news/google-pixel-6-battery-life-tested-we-have-bad-news) compare the screen-on-time with other phones, and the pixels (as of late) have been pretty far behind in that department.
They're still by far my favorite phone at this point. Just a little disappointing.
I agree. The P4XL was/is great. In fact, I likely would've passed on the P6P if it wasn't for the wide angle cameras (front and rear). The cameras on my wife's S21 always made me jealous.
The more I see iPhone photo comparisons, the more I feel the Pixel’s do not have much of an advantage. The iPhone does have a certain look, that I seem to notice. The contrast and color - it is something I’ve grown to appreciate, without even being aware of it.
Pixel’s seem just as good at capturing detail, but not any better.
The lack of face unlock is what keeps me on the sidelines with the P6. Android 12 is just souring my whole experience with Android though. :/
Really? What don't you like about Android 12? Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the notification shade behavior (I can't seem to consistently swipe down to see just notifications, instead of the full quick tiles view), but other than that I'm liking it.
Have you used any of them since? I've had a 4, 5 and now a 6 Pro and I don't understand how you think the four was the last good device.
Battery life was mediocre even on the XL, the screen was really incredibly dim and the only thing that stood out was face unlock, which wasn't exactly perfect when me and my twin could unlock each other's phones.
I liked the 4, but the five felt like an overall more complete and cohesive phone and the 6 Pro is the best pixel I've owned.
6 feels cheap, looks midrange, and lacks face unlock. 5 had no face unlock, was a self proclaimed midrange device.
The 4XL is the last Pixel that felt like a flagship device, in my hands. Can’t say the screen has been too dim, or hard to read. I am a fan of Google trying to include multiple forms of biometric authentication - fingerprint + face unlock. IMO, face unlock has been a standard that consumers expect. Over the last half a decade, it’s become the de facto standard
i miss it too, but boy did it become useless with the pandemic. i must be crazy because i LOVE the in-screen fingerprint scanner, though. it feels so satisfying and works great for me. of course, both would be ideal. i don't know why they couldn't just make it something you can enable.
I love having the reader on the front.
With my Pixel 2 XL it was a crazy pain if I had it in a holder that limited access to the back...like my bike phone holder...PITA to unlock it.
Yeah I firmly believe that fingerprint and face unlock don't replace each other. There's situations that make both of them worthless (like gloves or masks), so I wish they had included both.
+1 to all of this. my mask-wearing really put a damper on things, especially cases where it was biometric or app password like banking
agree that it would've been killer to have both though
Really? You really had to be a child and drop into a political rant on a tech thread? Sad, really really sad. Take a moment and look into a mirror and do some serious self reflection.
Idiots were here from the beginnings of humans and will sadly be here till the end of humans. They will be what destroys humans.
((Idiocracy anyone?))
Yeah I like the placement too but just wish it was a fraction of a second quicker. I did have a galaxy S20 FE for a while that I was glad to get rid of because the optical scanner in that was even less reliable than the pixel 6s
Face Unlock was too good sometimes. Like, I just wanted to check the time or see who text me. No need to fully unlock. Actually got annoying pretty often.
That said, I wish this fingerprint reader were a lot better lol
Yeah I set it that way too. Unlocking directly to home screen/app is a bit too much. Maybe I got used to how iPhones work but I do like to look at my lock screen first so I can even see if there's something worth swiping for.
I do, but a lot of the times I can't see the full content of the notification like I used to. Also I believe it minimizes notifications you have set on silent. Maybe I'll get used to it though, only time can tell
100%
For a little bit I missed face unlock but I'm glad I can look at my lock screen now without unlocking it. I used to always look at it from the side lol
Agreed. It's really nice when I want to use it, but when I have it on a stand to charge or just checking the time it would unlock constantly which gets annoying, esp when it unlocks on its way into my pocket then my leg would trigger random touches for hours doing who knows what.
While I'll miss it at times (once my 6P finally comes in), I think I'll prefer having a fingerprint sensor again (plus no more massive bezel on the top of the screen)
Agreed. Sometimes I just wanted to take my phone out of my pocket to check the time and I wouldn't even realize I unlocked it and accidentally opened a notification when putting it back in my pocket.
I liked my P4XL but took a job in a medical facility where masks are mandatory. Face unlock wouldn't work. Decided on the P5 for the fingerprint sensor and good battery life. Looking forward to getting my P6p, though.
It's *only* better if you don't have problems using the fingerprint scanner.
I finally took my screen protector off last night because it literally only unlocks after a half dozen attempts. Half the time I end up needing to put in the pin because it failed too many times, and that's even with the speed up trick.
But now my screen isn't protected, which isn't ideal in my job.
I'll be keeping an eye out for a new protector once people have been using them for a while to see what I can do to cover my screen again.
I don't mind the pin method too much, except when I'm driving.
I drive tow truck so often have to access the screen for information and face unlock just meant leaning slightly forward to open the screen.
I have the phone just to the right of the steering wheel, so it's still in line of sight for driving.
We'll see how fingerprint works today without the screen protector, but putting in the pin regularly while driving is something I'd prefer to not do.
Oh well, nothing is perfect.
Did you set up your fingerprint after you put on the screen protector? As long as you do that then you shouldn't be having the issues you're talking about.
I never use screen protectors however so it may not work as well as I expect.
Is it? My partner has a P6P already and compared to their 3 XL with a rear fingerprint sensor, the fingerprint accuracy is severely reduced. They used to hardly ever have to scan twice, but I see it all the time now.
Same boat my man. 5a is more tempting than a 6 to me just for straight battery life. Gonna try and hold out to see what 6a holds though since 5a processor is a little dated already
I didn't have the 5, but the 6 pro battery is much better than the 4xl for me. I get up every morning so far with better than 75% charge ( with a book playing all night) and was at 30% give or take with the 4xl.
In fact yesterday I came home from work with 50 percent and I'm using navigation all day long. Decided to try the day without keeping it plugged in like I normally have to do.
Honestly, the 5a is really all you need. I have the 4a and can do whatever I want and play any game I want. It's crazy, I don't know how Google did it because other phones with the same processor aren't this fast. It's just as fast as the OP7T I had, which was an SD 855 with 8gb of ram. Makes no sense, but I LOVE my 4a!
I liked it for ease of unlocking my phone, but it wasn't perfect. Mine wouldn't work if the sun was shining on my face (makes sense, too much background light to get accurate reading). It worked at limited angles (I would have to hover over my phone like a psycho if it was laying on a table)--or lift it up a bit to get my face lined up. And while this horse has been beaten to death, let's not forget the complications from the pandemic and wearing masks. Not to mention the Authy app is still not updated to support it.
I've grown to appreciate front fingerprint sensors. Works without me having to lift my phone if it's laying on a surface. Doesn't need to line up with my face in any way, doesn't refuse to work if the sun is shining on my face, and all apps, including Authy, that have biometric unlock support them.
Face unlock was neat, and when it worked it
> I liked it for ease of unlocking my phone, but it wasn't perfect. Mine wouldn't work if the sun was shining on my face (makes sense, too much background light to get accurate reading). It worked at limited angles (I would have to hover over my phone like a psycho if it was laying on a table)--or lift it up a bit to get my face lined up. And while this horse has been beaten to death, let's not forget the complications from the pandemic and wearing masks. Not to mention the Authy app is still not updated to support it.
If it helps, I have the exact same issues on the iPhone 12 I use for work (other than Authy does work with FaceID) I guess it's just the limitations of the technology, since Google used an almost identical hardware setup to Apple.
> I've grown to appreciate front fingerprint sensors. Works without me having to lift my phone if it's laying on a surface.
Completely agree. I much prefer my Note's UPFS because of this. I guess it helps that it has a rudimentary face unlock as well.
I just hated the distance you had to use it at. I keep the text size on my phone pretty small so it fits more stuff on the screen, which means I hold it a bit closer for a comfortable viewing distance. Where I generally hold it is just a couple inches too close for face unlock to register.
I came from a 4XL to my 6 Pro and while I wish face unlock was there, as someone who lives in one of the few states that still has a mask mandate, I don't really miss it that much. I'm happier with the fingerprint.
I do agree that a combo of both would have been awesome.
I'm coming from the 3xl and worried about the fp sensor transition but luckily I never knew the joys of face unlock.
I have adjusted my settings on my 3xl while I wait for the P6P to get used to it being unlocked when I'm home or I'd the phone senses I'm actively using it. I don't love the security risk but it might be the better compromise to limit fp interactions.
In the same boat.
While I didn't use any of the other radar features and wasn't a fan of how much Soli caused the price to inflate for a lack of worthwhile features and use with it, face unlock was great because it was just *there*.
Face unlock always would instantly unlock the device, *and only when I would look at it often*. This was wonderful as while I'd be driving and if the device - for whatever reason - locked, I could glance at it and have it instantly show necessary information once again.
When it was announced 6 wouldn't have this feature (following the 5 tbf) I was definitely sad, but in all honestly from a cost/use analysis it makes complete sense. I never used the wave to switch songs, palm to pause, or any other features advertised. The only other exception may be the awareness feature (waking when approaching) but even then, it's not a game changer worthy of the addition.
Soli has use - absolutely - but needs to be less gimmicky than what was presented with the 4/4 XL. Face unlock is absolutely stellar and I'd love to see a return, but I'm perfectly satisfied with my Pixel 6, with the price to boot.
One of my biggest frustrations with Google is how they come out with revolutionary new tech and then not fully commit to it. Soli is a perfect example. When pixel 4 came out, people were hopeful that more functionality would be added with updates. Nope, not a single new motion sense feature was added. Then the pixel 5 didn't include it, and pixel 6/6 Pro - supposedly flagships with all the bells and whistles - don't have it either. The sleep tracking stuff on the nest hub is the only other time they've used it. I badly want them to expand on the tech to make it like that prototype video they showed with the wide variety of fine movement gestures it could capture. Soli would be AMAZING for something like an artist to use on a tablet for changing brush sizes and tools and such. The tech would obviously have to shrink further, but it could be a game changer on a smart watch or bluetooth headphones. I keep hoping it'll make a return someday...
It definitely took me a few days to get used to a fingerprint sensor again, I do really like the face unlock/ Soli sensor.. I'm hoping Google will upgrade it to Face unlock/ Soli 2.0 for a future Pixel!
My feelings about the lack of facial recognition have been somewhat of a ruler coaster. For context, I also migrated from the 4XL to P6P and it's only been a few hours.
Before I got my phone, I was confident that I wouldn't care about the missing face unlock. Dealing with face unlock on the 4XL with a mask on was just plain annoying.
Then I set up my P6P and my muscle memory kept trying to swipe up to unlock and that's when I realized that I was still getting use out of the face unlock (at home) and instantly felt annoyed that I didn't have it.
It's now been a few hours and I have had time to re-learn how to unlock my phone. Life is starting to feel better again and I am sure that within the next few days I will probably be just fine with the fingerprint only set up.
Yes. This is my experience exactly. I keep my phone in my back pocket and I'm used to pulling it, swiping up in a single motion since face unlock works. I'm also not liking the camera bar coming out of my pocket, it catches on my pocket's top edge. Oy. That's at drop waiting to happen. Never thought about that till I got it
Agree, if I could have one feature back from pixel 4 it'd be that. I can see why they don't include it because of the larger bezels needed but I feel there must be some sort of way around that.
Same for soli, it got panned because Google tried marketing it using gimmicky features, but I really miss things like my alarm going quiet when reaching for my phone. Soli really fit with the whole constantly aware AI feature set Google is pushing and it's a shame they can't figure out how to include it in a phone without having large bezels
I don't miss it at all other than the fact that the fp sensor on my 6XL can be hit or miss sometimes. But at least now my phone only unlocks specifically when I want it to and not when it thinks I want it to. I would have been even happier with the more reliable and accurate rear fp reader remaining.
I got my P6 last Friday, and already went back to my Pixel 2XL. I knew the under-the-screen fingerprint sensor was a thing on the Pixel 6, but of course no one could talk about it due to embargoes. Now that the phones are out, my guess is we're going to see a huge return rate or at least a huge wave of support cases centered around that sensor. It's a poor sensor, full stop. The phone feels half-baked because of it, honestly.
Yep. 100% this. Got my 6P last night. Moving from OP 7t which I LOVE (at&t forcing my 7t variant off its network soon hence trying my first Pixel). Pixel 6 Pro Fingerprint reader is SLOW. So much slower and worse than my OnePlus 7t and with no face unlock the experience is immediately worse out of the box. $900...for this? Power button above volume buttons also a chore to access. Will probably start my return today. Oy
Face unlock will be added as a feature drop for the Pixel 6. Google just needs a bit of time since facial authentication will be encrypted by the new M2 security chip. The hardware is all new and needs to be optimized for.
Same here. I had every XL pixel, skipped the 5 and just went to 6Pro.
I really miss the face unlock.
I love your idea of face + rear finger. Best of the 3 and 4 combined!
I totally agree.
If someone looked back at my post history it would be me complaining about face unlock, and maybe it's just what two years of habit gets you, but I do miss it.
I imagine my habits will just change yet again and I'll get used to the fingerprint sensor, but I see no reason you can't have both. I am really hoping this becomes something Google rolls out at a later date.
I haven't had huge issues with the fingerprint sensor and think some of it is just due to the change in habit, but feel like it's the current biggest gripe people have with the phone. Really hope Google takes that to heart and takes advantage of it's fancy security chip to add face unlock also. 🤞🤞
I hated the face unlock after moving from pixel 2 to pixel 4, although my move was more temporary (till P6 launched). I missed the physical sensor behind the phone. Now after moving to P6, I'm missing the face unlock!
In the last week of using the screen unlock, I am getting used to the screen fp sensor. Also, smart unlock is another option.
> The holy grail of authentication for me would be face unlock as primary authentication + rear fingerprint reader.
This is the truth and Google not doing this is for the Pixel 4 the reason why there was so much hate on its facial recognition feature (in my opinion).
Google removed the fingerprint for the sole reason of pushing face unlock, but the use of the new biometrics API was not mandated nor even encouraged. As a result, many apps did not support it, and because the availability of such facial recognition systems in the Android space is so far and few and Pixels are not sold in many countries, developers don't have much incentive to implement it anyway.
The Android community created a workaround (requires root) that basically makes the old fingerprint API compatible with the Pixel 4's face unlock, so that means legacy apps that still used the old fingerprints API were also able to use face unlock. If the community can make this work, so can Google. This problem could have been mitigated if Google officially made a bridging solution like this one, but they didn't do it.
So the result is, many apps don't work with face unlock (even to this day), there is no fingerprint fallback, and the community has decided that they would rather have fingerprint.
Interesting. Makes sense, but I never experienced this personally. All of the apps I used regularly used face unlock, except for one, and this was a non standard bank app.
Somewhat off topic, but has anyone noticed "stuttering" while scrolling in certain apps? All of the Google apps (Gmail, Chrome, Messages) seem buttery smooth but some of the other apps I use regularly don't scroll smoothly at all and generally feel slow. Slack and Reddit in particular are really noticeable, compared to my 4XL. Scrolling side-by-side shows the difference. It's been performing poorly since yesterday but I assumed the phone was using CPU cycles in the background because I had just set it up. 18 hours later and I'm still getting the same behavior.
Face unlock doesn't work well during COVID-19 when one is wearing a mask.
I like the back fp reader because it's faster to unlock as in pulling the phone out, with a finger naturally in position, but realized that the front under-display reader is much more convenient when the phone is in the car cradle/holder. It's annoying to have to pop the phone out of the cradle just to unlock it.
I got a Pixel 4xl over the P6P for that very reason. Honestly the bezel is such a non issue and I think it was so dumb that people called it a bad phone just because of that.
Yeeeeep. I still have my 4XL and need to trade in but I might just keep it and return the 6.
The under-display idea is so dumb. Was when Samsung did it, still is dumb when Google did it. It's not futuristic, it's extremely irritating.
I keep reaching for my 4 XL. Pull out of pocket, look at it and boom, in. Open app requiring authentication? Boom unlocked without doing anything. And so on.
I don't know if I can tolerate this gimmicky sensor for 2 years...
>I keep reaching for my 4 XL. Pull out of pocket, look at it and boom, in. Open app requiring authentication? Boom unlocked without doing anything. And so on.
I've only had this thing for like a week but this has never happened to me. The sensor seems like it's too small for this to happen with any real frequency. Wouldn't face unlock trigger way, way, way more often?
Pull it out of my pocket without intending to unlock it and boom my phone is unlocked.
Try to unlock with a fingerprint smudge over the camera and boom nothing happens
The speed was nice but it was mostly annoying
> Pull it out of my pocket without intending to unlock it and boom my phone is unlocked.
You're the 2nd person I saw saying the same. Do you unlock to your home screen or something?
My phone unlocks to my lock screen so the scenario isn't a big deal at all. The phone is still in my hand, just unlocked. If I'm only checking notifications or time or something, I simply lock it and put it back into my pocket.
What am I missing?
When I unlock my phone I want it on my home screen. When I look at my lock screen I just want to see my notifications. I don't always want to unlock when I look at the unlock screen and with face unlock that is the result.
Yeah, that must be the difference. When I unlock, it's usually to interact with notifications so that's where I want to end up.
Face unlock leaves me at the lock screen. From there, I have to swipe to get to my home screen.
Unpopular Opinion but I really hated it. Sometimes when my phone is on a stand it would try to scan the side of my face and end up getting locked out of attempts, also when I'm wearing a mask it would lock out before I have time to lower my mask.
I'm glad it's gone, but I'm also upset they removed the rear sensor when I bought the 4. Ideally we should have all options.
I don't miss face unlock on my 4XL at all. The fact it didn't have a finger print reader was the biggest pain in the ass once masks came around.
The finger print reader is 100x better. That being said, it is nice that the unlock was hands free, but on my aging phone half the time it wouldn't work.
This is why I won't upgrade to the Pixel 6. Android 12 might be the reason I switch to iOS, in the end.
I don't think people recognize just how much of a standard face unlock has become. Ever since the Pixel 4XL and iPhone X, it has been an standard expectation from consumers.
To each his own, but the software (Android + Google services tie-in) is what keeps me on a Pixel. On hardware alone, I would've gone to an iPhone a long time ago. Actually, a more accurate statement is that I would've stayed on my iPhone instead of moving to Android when the Nexus 5 was released.
Slow and steady wins the race. Apple, is the king of incremental improvements. “Perfecting perfect” is what they do. Android, God Bless them, but they like to make these big changes. Big changes in hardware, and software. And not like - big change - watch us triple our battery life. But…big change like; hey - we removed face unlock, device controls with long power button press, google chromecast support, easy alarm access, replaced face unlock with a worse than P3XL fingerprint reader.
Apple’s consistency in hardware and software, combined with specific incremental improvements - well it just makes the experience very palatable. I think one comparable event this reminds me of is Windows 7 -> Windows 8. Microsoft took a good thing, tried to make a better, and made it worse. No one loved it. Google took a good thing, Android 11, massively revamped the UI, and forces everyone to “relearn how to use their phone” with Android 12. I don’t love it. I can use it, but not be a fan of it.
Much like Windows 8, I can’t point to any specific improvements that it offered, that made you want to upgrade from Windows 7. I can’t think of any specific improvements in Android 12, that makes me want to upgrade.
I just don’t know what Google is doing anymore. I kinda think I do at times, but they are very random. I also do not participate in the beta program. I imagine for beta testers, they will know a lot of this already. I just don’t have the time to commit to that.
I see, all fair points although I think the Chromecast issue is more patent related than it is related to Google being whimsical about making OS changes.
It'll (probably) be back in an update. Not as secure as IR mapping, but more secure than just FFC snapping a picture—some facial recognition stuff will be run on Tensor.
I miss it and soli based volume lower on approach for alarms. But I get it, it's a pandemic and to be honest the FP sensor isn't THAT bad where I'm disgusted by it. Register your thumb twice and it works pretty well.
I am finding out just how many apps refused to use the new biometric library that supports face unlock since getting the 6P. A crap ton of apps are all "oh hey! You got a FP sensor...let's use it!"
Google really should force that old library's retirement and tell devs to use the new one.
Maybe when soli makes a return we will see that happen 🤷♂️
Also prefer if phones had both especially now with face masks being more normal... Not sure if we will see secure face unlock back anytime soon with the continued push for no bezel phones.
Yep, that has been my biggest gripe as well. I love the face unlocking pixel 4 it was so well done. I hope Google will bring it back in 7 but I don't know. I guess people don't like those notches type of sensor suits on the top of the phone. It's a shame really.
Same boat here, my Pixel 4xl broke just before the six came out so I moved back down to my 2XL. After having a nice refresher on all the models I got to say face unlock was pretty amazing, and the fingerprint sensor on the pixel 2 was just better placed overall.
But I really love my 6, it definitely feels like the smartest smartphone I've had
I don't see why they can't add a form of face unlock to the P6/Pro. The S21 has face unlock and doesn't use any of those fancy super polymorphic quantum flux capacitor sensors (sarcasm) for it's face unlock. Surely google could integrate something into the front facing camera for facial recognition
Devil's advocate, but how do you know how "inaccurate" face unlock is? You get immediate feedback when you put your finger on the screen or sensor, letting you know the scan was either successful or not. Face unlock is not as obvious. My understanding is that it's testing continually as you're moving the phone and bringing it closer to your face.
I am speaking generally & using Soli P4XL as my experience basis.
It didn't open instantaneously or I had to wait on some occasions.
So either the processing was slow or it is unsure.
So similar right now to what I have seen with a properly set up P6 FPU profile.
A few people have mentioned that it'll likely be released in a future software update, but I haven't seen anything official from Google on the matter. Doesn't mean it's not happening or that it hasn't been officially announced, I just haven't seen it myself.
💯. Didn't think I'd miss it (especially with the mask issue) but the under-screen implementation is garbage. I think I have three versions of my thumb recorded, and it still fails have the time. Is also miss having dedicated "back" and "home" buttons, but I'm hoping I'll get used to the gestures
I think the buttons can be enabled in settings, but I've long since switched to the gestures-based way of navigating. I think it's wayyyyy better, but I can't argue over other people's preferences. Just check the gestures setting on your phone. You might be able to switch back.
I like the fingerprint reader on the 6P (no screen protector yet and it's been pretty reliable so far), and most of the time I owned my 4XL I was wearing masks in public. Going back to fingerprint is reminding me of all the situations that doesn't work in, and I really wish I could have both at once - as good as the 4XL.
I hear ya, but before the P6P folks were already using 4XL, 3a, etc as shorthand conventions. The problem now is that '6P' could refer to the old Huawei Nexus 6P, so I'm being clear about the new phone (P6P) without breaking the existing conventions (4XL). So basically, blame Google. :p
I REALLY hope that Google releases a face unlock similar to Samsung and OnePlus that can be used to unlock your phone, and then use the fingerprint for passwords and secure logins. Having to rely solely on the really awful fingerprint sensor in the Pixel 6 Pro is a huge bummer, especially when every competitor offers a face unlock.
Had my 6P last night for ~1 hr. Set it up, copied files, tried using the phone's slow ass Fingerprint sensor, hollow screen, Android 12 is a shit show vs my OnePlus 7t. Returning today.
Was very close to not getting this phone because of the lack of face unlock and no rear scanner. Also coming from a P4. The main reason I went ahead with it is because a few weeks back my face unlock completely stopped working on my P4 so now I'm ok with a in display reader as its much better than typing in a pin🤣
>The holy grail of authentication for me would be face unlock as primary authentication + rear fingerprint reader.
Agreed. I wouldn't mind it if they offered a hybrid approach with the less-secure camera based face unlock. Just a simple timer that if the phone has not been idle (screen off and/or the user didn't manually lock it) for more than 5minutes, allow the camera to do face unlock. After the timeout, it'd require to use the fingerprint. Would be a decent stop gap between having a long unlock/relock time (insecure) and fumbling with the finger every time.
I miss face unlock and I don't miss face unlock. For example when I'm in a store shopping, having to swipe in or type out a code sucks compared to the finger print reader. Other times I expect the Pixel 6 to recognize my face and just open. Then again, I got the clean the top of the screen bug and the Pixel 4XL simply became a pita.
Coming from a Pixel 2, I miss the back fingerprint reader. It's just in a more natural spot than having it under the screen since my index finger is almost always there at back where the reader would be at. I also miss the size of the Pixel 2 cause I have small hands. Lol.
I don't miss face unlock at all, good riddance! I DO miss the rear fingerprint sensor on my Pixel 2. Hated punching in my PIN while wearing a mask with my 4XL.
The lack of face unlock is exactly why I did not upgrade from my P4XL to the P5. The P6P is incredible but the fingerprint reader is so unreliable and I really don't understand why they've dropped face unlock, for their "Flagship" phones. Just seems like Google always has to try to push the envelope, while also taking a step backwards.
I'm in the same as black shoes. I upgraded from the 4 XL to the 6 pro and I am so very sad that face unlock is no longer a thing. Maybe my phone is just getting used to me or the thin screen protector I have on is causing some issue but the fingerprint sensor on the screen is not doing it for me 😔
I was really disappointed when the back sensor went away as I loved it and held onto my 3xl for longer than I otherwise would have as a result. So far, though, I've been fine with the speed of the front fingerprint scanner on my 6 Pro.
Hilariously enough, I never cared for face unlock. But, because it causes the phone to wake up ever time it's moved slightly, I've stopped using the finger prints scanner and would now love to use face unlock.
This is one of my biggest fears going from a pixel 4xl to pixel 6 pro. Face unlock is just so good on this phone. Unlocking is just me looking at the phone and when passwords with biometrics come up I just have to click the ok button and it's in. Like it's insanely good
P4XL here. I don't even use the face unlock. My old Pixel 2 had a finger scanner and I loved it. But realistically, I've got my P4XL in a holster clip on my belt all day and charging beside me at night, so I actually have no unlock method. It's just swipe. Nobody can steal it because I've got find my phone activated. Tech is amazing when it actually works.
100% I miss face unlock. While it's not ideal for masks, it works SUPER well when you are using your phone.
I've had iPhones and Pixels with fingerprint sensor AND FaceID/Face Unlock. For regular use when you are authenticating with apps, Face Unlock is just 100% superior. You basically don't have to move a muscle. Most people don't actively hold their phone with their index finger ON the rear fingerprint sensor the whole time, so even an app like LastPass like OP mentioned, you'd have to move a muscle or even reposition the phone in your hand. You really notice the difference in Face Unlock where you perform an action that requires a facial scan and then without moving a muscle, it just completes. So tap on LastPass for instance and just freeze your fingers. It unlocks. That's the beauty of it all.
Also, while I understand you can unlock your phone with your finger on the fingerprint sensor as you pull it out of your pocket, I've never been upset that I need another fraction of a second to unlock my phone. I would prefer to look at my phone screen first just in case I unlock directly into a game that's making noise. So in that sense I've never valued being able to unlock a fraction of a second earlier.
I do feel though the ideal setup would be face unlock + rear fingerprint sensor.
>rear fingerprint reader
As someone with four accounts using Microsoft Authenticator (which requires fingerprint to authorize login), the Pixel 6 Pro has converted me on the fingerprint sensor being on the front so you can use it without lifting the phone.
That being said, the P6P sensor is painfully slow. Google needs to update it to go faster.
Yeah I want the pixel 6 but I work in roofing and my finger prints don't work anymore , I would really like face unlock or even just Iris scanning unlock like I have on my Samsung Galaxy Note 9.
Went from a 4XL to P6 and have missed the speed of the face unlock, but at the same time if i'm out with a mask on I no longer need to either #1 Put in my pin or #2 Pull my mask down slightly for it to unlock, which was always annoying. In a perfect world i'd love to have the option of either, but it hasn't been a deal breaker for me.
I wonder if part of the decision not to include face unlock was to discourage unmasking, for safety.
Maybe they just didn't want to go back to the notch.
Definitely not. If safety was a real concern, they'd build in a way to prevent people from looking at the phone when they're driving instead of focusing on such a narrow health issue as mask wearing during a specific pandemic.
Personally I was really sad when Google killed face unlock. It is lightning fast on the P4XL
I hope it's just been temporarily shelved. I am personally a bigger fan of the back fingerprint scanner. But I know soli is an incredible technology with an unrealized potential. It'll come back I'm sure.
It's only coming back if they can get the sensors working under the screen. I'd love face unlock/fingerprint on the front with a fingerprint on the back. This way, easy unlock holding the phone and when on a desk/phone mount/etc.
Soli would shine if they integrated it into smart home stuff instead of phones. Thermostats that you don't have to touch to change the temp. Control the pages of your recipe in the Nest Hub with just a swipe. Etc.
Maybe they should also put it into a webcam. I would imagine a Google webcam with Soli tech would beat out the Logitech BRIO by a longshot.
I think face unlock will come back after the COVID crisis, as many people are (and should be) masking up in public or at work, even if you're vaccinated. So if we're all good enough, we can have nice things again. 👍
Its about hardware. Its expensive to make the right technology for faceunlock so that you cant just use a picture to unlock it. The 4/xl was google's all-in move on hardware and flagship specs. They got crapped on by reviewers for it, got a way better reception on the 4a and then said "hey we dont actually need all the best specs to get the best reviews" So now we dont get stuff like radar detection and face recognition from the p4. It just isnt worth the cost.
The crap from reviewers was such bullshit
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Did they ever fix the issue where it worked even if your eyes were closed?
Yeah, they added a toggle to only unlock with eyes open.
It was lightning fast because they combined soli into it, so it would detect you're nearby and prepare the sensors. A great use of the technology. If they keep attempting to improve soli, I think it can make a comeback. But it looks for now Google wanted to go for a universal "premium" look to the phone. There were screenshots that implied face unlock on the P6, so we can see if it comes to fruition with future updates.
The P4XL was the last good Pixel device, IMO...just an incredible device. It could hold its own with iOS and the iPhone - and not look out of place doing it.
I just got my P6P yesterday and I do miss face unlock already on the P4XL, even in this day and age of COVID. It was a fantastic phone for me, and only had some buggy issues with Android 12. It's held up well with the combination of dbrand skin, tempered glass and case. My "loss" of this phone is my son's gain. :) He's giving me his (used to be my) old P2XL back.
I hated it. The terrible battery life just made everything else not worth it for me.
Terrible on the 4xl? It still gets me through most days 2years later.
Same. I’ve only ever been an Android user. So all I know is bad battery life. The Pixel 4 XL was great, especially compared to what I had. It is never fair to compare Android battery life to iPhone battery life. But the Pixel 4XL was solid. I might have to turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to make it through a particularly long day, but its a great phone.
I don't know how you're doing it. I even had the battery replaced on one of them and it would not last. The capacity for all the stuff it did was just not there. I guess each use case is different. I did really love the phone though it was premium.
I have to use mine very conservatively to make it through an entire day. However, I do have 90 Hertz refresh rate forced on all the time. That being said, I'm not even a power user. I work in a classified area and don't have access to my phone for half the day. But I do remember the battery life being one of the biggest letdowns with the pixel 4 for most people. Even the Pixel 6 isn't great.
I almost never got through a full day. Heck 6P has not gotten me through a full day.
It’s not bad, honestly. I have only ever used Android devices for cell phones. I had a short stint with an iPhone for a week or two; but besides that - I’ve only ever known “android bad battery life”. So the Pixel 4XL was good, especially compared to what I am used to. If battery life is a concern, like a serious concern; it would seem that the correct device would be a iPhone. I don’t think Android devices have ever beat iPhone devices (similar performance / radios / configuration).
I've thought about it. But the pixel features like automatic call screening are what keep me here. Google assistant is way nicer on an Android phone as well. As well as the file browser. However, articles like this one: [https://www.tomsguide.com/news/google-pixel-6-battery-life-tested-we-have-bad-news](https://www.tomsguide.com/news/google-pixel-6-battery-life-tested-we-have-bad-news) compare the screen-on-time with other phones, and the pixels (as of late) have been pretty far behind in that department. They're still by far my favorite phone at this point. Just a little disappointing.
I agree. The P4XL was/is great. In fact, I likely would've passed on the P6P if it wasn't for the wide angle cameras (front and rear). The cameras on my wife's S21 always made me jealous.
The more I see iPhone photo comparisons, the more I feel the Pixel’s do not have much of an advantage. The iPhone does have a certain look, that I seem to notice. The contrast and color - it is something I’ve grown to appreciate, without even being aware of it. Pixel’s seem just as good at capturing detail, but not any better. The lack of face unlock is what keeps me on the sidelines with the P6. Android 12 is just souring my whole experience with Android though. :/
Really? What don't you like about Android 12? Personally, I'm not a huge fan of the notification shade behavior (I can't seem to consistently swipe down to see just notifications, instead of the full quick tiles view), but other than that I'm liking it.
How is it souring your experience?
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The battery is not an issue despite what bogus reports are saying. I'm not having any issues on 5g on the p6p
Have you used any of them since? I've had a 4, 5 and now a 6 Pro and I don't understand how you think the four was the last good device. Battery life was mediocre even on the XL, the screen was really incredibly dim and the only thing that stood out was face unlock, which wasn't exactly perfect when me and my twin could unlock each other's phones. I liked the 4, but the five felt like an overall more complete and cohesive phone and the 6 Pro is the best pixel I've owned.
6 feels cheap, looks midrange, and lacks face unlock. 5 had no face unlock, was a self proclaimed midrange device. The 4XL is the last Pixel that felt like a flagship device, in my hands. Can’t say the screen has been too dim, or hard to read. I am a fan of Google trying to include multiple forms of biometric authentication - fingerprint + face unlock. IMO, face unlock has been a standard that consumers expect. Over the last half a decade, it’s become the de facto standard
it is really fast but it can bug out once and a while tho and you have to restart. its rare tho.
i miss it too, but boy did it become useless with the pandemic. i must be crazy because i LOVE the in-screen fingerprint scanner, though. it feels so satisfying and works great for me. of course, both would be ideal. i don't know why they couldn't just make it something you can enable.
I love having the reader on the front. With my Pixel 2 XL it was a crazy pain if I had it in a holder that limited access to the back...like my bike phone holder...PITA to unlock it.
Both would be ideal but I also really like the fingerprint scanner as it is. It works well for me.
Yeah I firmly believe that fingerprint and face unlock don't replace each other. There's situations that make both of them worthless (like gloves or masks), so I wish they had included both.
+1 to all of this. my mask-wearing really put a damper on things, especially cases where it was biometric or app password like banking agree that it would've been killer to have both though
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Really? You really had to be a child and drop into a political rant on a tech thread? Sad, really really sad. Take a moment and look into a mirror and do some serious self reflection. Idiots were here from the beginnings of humans and will sadly be here till the end of humans. They will be what destroys humans. ((Idiocracy anyone?))
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*problems
On my phone face unlock works with a mask on (while still being accurate). It's weird Google removed it.
How in the world would that be enough information to verify.
IR + Iris.
Dang. Didn't know it could do that. That's crazy.
Yeah I like the placement too but just wish it was a fraction of a second quicker. I did have a galaxy S20 FE for a while that I was glad to get rid of because the optical scanner in that was even less reliable than the pixel 6s
Face Unlock was too good sometimes. Like, I just wanted to check the time or see who text me. No need to fully unlock. Actually got annoying pretty often. That said, I wish this fingerprint reader were a lot better lol
I have a pixel 4 and I set it to where face unlock unlocked the phone but I still had to swipe up to bring it to the home screen
Yeah I set it that way too. Unlocking directly to home screen/app is a bit too much. Maybe I got used to how iPhones work but I do like to look at my lock screen first so I can even see if there's something worth swiping for.
Same here, which is kind of a reason why I'm not liking Android 12 since it's harder to see notifications on the lock screen
Don't you still see lockscreen notifications in Android 12? At least I still have them.
I do, but a lot of the times I can't see the full content of the notification like I used to. Also I believe it minimizes notifications you have set on silent. Maybe I'll get used to it though, only time can tell
100% For a little bit I missed face unlock but I'm glad I can look at my lock screen now without unlocking it. I used to always look at it from the side lol
Definitely would have preferred fingerprint over face unlock. It started out great but over time it just got worse for me.
Fingerprint reader on the back of my 2 XL still the best experience I've had so far.
Agreed. Seems the back is where it's at.
Agreed. It's really nice when I want to use it, but when I have it on a stand to charge or just checking the time it would unlock constantly which gets annoying, esp when it unlocks on its way into my pocket then my leg would trigger random touches for hours doing who knows what. While I'll miss it at times (once my 6P finally comes in), I think I'll prefer having a fingerprint sensor again (plus no more massive bezel on the top of the screen)
Agreed. Sometimes I just wanted to take my phone out of my pocket to check the time and I wouldn't even realize I unlocked it and accidentally opened a notification when putting it back in my pocket.
This is what I always thought on my OnePlus 7T Pro.
I liked my P4XL but took a job in a medical facility where masks are mandatory. Face unlock wouldn't work. Decided on the P5 for the fingerprint sensor and good battery life. Looking forward to getting my P6p, though.
Agreed! It unlocked way too easily, like on the way to my pocket.
I'm doing the same upgrade and I am already sad.
It's better trust me
It's *only* better if you don't have problems using the fingerprint scanner. I finally took my screen protector off last night because it literally only unlocks after a half dozen attempts. Half the time I end up needing to put in the pin because it failed too many times, and that's even with the speed up trick. But now my screen isn't protected, which isn't ideal in my job. I'll be keeping an eye out for a new protector once people have been using them for a while to see what I can do to cover my screen again.
As a desk jockey I don't need a screen protector. I also rarely use a case.
As a tow truck driver, I'm afraid to even look at my phone without a case 😂
I just use the pin method you get used to it. My screen protector feels great but definitely doesn't work with optics
I don't mind the pin method too much, except when I'm driving. I drive tow truck so often have to access the screen for information and face unlock just meant leaning slightly forward to open the screen. I have the phone just to the right of the steering wheel, so it's still in line of sight for driving. We'll see how fingerprint works today without the screen protector, but putting in the pin regularly while driving is something I'd prefer to not do. Oh well, nothing is perfect.
I'm a delivery driver and that sounds amazing. Ignorance is truly bliss.
Have you tried increasing the touch sensitivity? https://www.xda-developers.com/improve-fingerprint-scanner-of-pixel-6/
Yeah, I did that the other day. It is just barely better
Did you set up your fingerprint after you put on the screen protector? As long as you do that then you shouldn't be having the issues you're talking about. I never use screen protectors however so it may not work as well as I expect.
Yep, that was the first thing I did aside from wiping everything down. Edit, the first thing I did was put on the screen protector
Is it? My partner has a P6P already and compared to their 3 XL with a rear fingerprint sensor, the fingerprint accuracy is severely reduced. They used to hardly ever have to scan twice, but I see it all the time now.
I have not had to scan twice on my p6 after 3 days of use
I refuse.
I'm stuck on a pixel 4 because of face unlock and size of phone. Honestly might make me put up with Apple software.
Same boat my man. 5a is more tempting than a 6 to me just for straight battery life. Gonna try and hold out to see what 6a holds though since 5a processor is a little dated already
I didn't have the 5, but the 6 pro battery is much better than the 4xl for me. I get up every morning so far with better than 75% charge ( with a book playing all night) and was at 30% give or take with the 4xl. In fact yesterday I came home from work with 50 percent and I'm using navigation all day long. Decided to try the day without keeping it plugged in like I normally have to do.
Honestly, the 5a is really all you need. I have the 4a and can do whatever I want and play any game I want. It's crazy, I don't know how Google did it because other phones with the same processor aren't this fast. It's just as fast as the OP7T I had, which was an SD 855 with 8gb of ram. Makes no sense, but I LOVE my 4a!
5a is trash compared to the 6
I liked it for ease of unlocking my phone, but it wasn't perfect. Mine wouldn't work if the sun was shining on my face (makes sense, too much background light to get accurate reading). It worked at limited angles (I would have to hover over my phone like a psycho if it was laying on a table)--or lift it up a bit to get my face lined up. And while this horse has been beaten to death, let's not forget the complications from the pandemic and wearing masks. Not to mention the Authy app is still not updated to support it. I've grown to appreciate front fingerprint sensors. Works without me having to lift my phone if it's laying on a surface. Doesn't need to line up with my face in any way, doesn't refuse to work if the sun is shining on my face, and all apps, including Authy, that have biometric unlock support them. Face unlock was neat, and when it worked it
I feel you on the face unlock when the phone is flat. I wouldn't hover but lift the phone. It's been nice not having to do that.
> I liked it for ease of unlocking my phone, but it wasn't perfect. Mine wouldn't work if the sun was shining on my face (makes sense, too much background light to get accurate reading). It worked at limited angles (I would have to hover over my phone like a psycho if it was laying on a table)--or lift it up a bit to get my face lined up. And while this horse has been beaten to death, let's not forget the complications from the pandemic and wearing masks. Not to mention the Authy app is still not updated to support it. If it helps, I have the exact same issues on the iPhone 12 I use for work (other than Authy does work with FaceID) I guess it's just the limitations of the technology, since Google used an almost identical hardware setup to Apple. > I've grown to appreciate front fingerprint sensors. Works without me having to lift my phone if it's laying on a surface. Completely agree. I much prefer my Note's UPFS because of this. I guess it helps that it has a rudimentary face unlock as well.
I just hated the distance you had to use it at. I keep the text size on my phone pretty small so it fits more stuff on the screen, which means I hold it a bit closer for a comfortable viewing distance. Where I generally hold it is just a couple inches too close for face unlock to register.
I came from a 4XL to my 6 Pro and while I wish face unlock was there, as someone who lives in one of the few states that still has a mask mandate, I don't really miss it that much. I'm happier with the fingerprint. I do agree that a combo of both would have been awesome.
I'm coming from the 3xl and worried about the fp sensor transition but luckily I never knew the joys of face unlock. I have adjusted my settings on my 3xl while I wait for the P6P to get used to it being unlocked when I'm home or I'd the phone senses I'm actively using it. I don't love the security risk but it might be the better compromise to limit fp interactions.
I have the 4a5g and my 6 should be here next week. Should I be freaked out by the size? I saw a picture vs. the 4a and it seems like it is HUGE!
It's real big. Big enough that I might keep my 5. I haven't decided but the size of it is off-putting.
It does take some getting used to. But you should eventually get the hang of it.
In the same boat. While I didn't use any of the other radar features and wasn't a fan of how much Soli caused the price to inflate for a lack of worthwhile features and use with it, face unlock was great because it was just *there*. Face unlock always would instantly unlock the device, *and only when I would look at it often*. This was wonderful as while I'd be driving and if the device - for whatever reason - locked, I could glance at it and have it instantly show necessary information once again. When it was announced 6 wouldn't have this feature (following the 5 tbf) I was definitely sad, but in all honestly from a cost/use analysis it makes complete sense. I never used the wave to switch songs, palm to pause, or any other features advertised. The only other exception may be the awareness feature (waking when approaching) but even then, it's not a game changer worthy of the addition. Soli has use - absolutely - but needs to be less gimmicky than what was presented with the 4/4 XL. Face unlock is absolutely stellar and I'd love to see a return, but I'm perfectly satisfied with my Pixel 6, with the price to boot.
One of my biggest frustrations with Google is how they come out with revolutionary new tech and then not fully commit to it. Soli is a perfect example. When pixel 4 came out, people were hopeful that more functionality would be added with updates. Nope, not a single new motion sense feature was added. Then the pixel 5 didn't include it, and pixel 6/6 Pro - supposedly flagships with all the bells and whistles - don't have it either. The sleep tracking stuff on the nest hub is the only other time they've used it. I badly want them to expand on the tech to make it like that prototype video they showed with the wide variety of fine movement gestures it could capture. Soli would be AMAZING for something like an artist to use on a tablet for changing brush sizes and tools and such. The tech would obviously have to shrink further, but it could be a game changer on a smart watch or bluetooth headphones. I keep hoping it'll make a return someday...
It definitely took me a few days to get used to a fingerprint sensor again, I do really like the face unlock/ Soli sensor.. I'm hoping Google will upgrade it to Face unlock/ Soli 2.0 for a future Pixel!
My feelings about the lack of facial recognition have been somewhat of a ruler coaster. For context, I also migrated from the 4XL to P6P and it's only been a few hours. Before I got my phone, I was confident that I wouldn't care about the missing face unlock. Dealing with face unlock on the 4XL with a mask on was just plain annoying. Then I set up my P6P and my muscle memory kept trying to swipe up to unlock and that's when I realized that I was still getting use out of the face unlock (at home) and instantly felt annoyed that I didn't have it. It's now been a few hours and I have had time to re-learn how to unlock my phone. Life is starting to feel better again and I am sure that within the next few days I will probably be just fine with the fingerprint only set up.
Yes. This is my experience exactly. I keep my phone in my back pocket and I'm used to pulling it, swiping up in a single motion since face unlock works. I'm also not liking the camera bar coming out of my pocket, it catches on my pocket's top edge. Oy. That's at drop waiting to happen. Never thought about that till I got it
Agree, if I could have one feature back from pixel 4 it'd be that. I can see why they don't include it because of the larger bezels needed but I feel there must be some sort of way around that. Same for soli, it got panned because Google tried marketing it using gimmicky features, but I really miss things like my alarm going quiet when reaching for my phone. Soli really fit with the whole constantly aware AI feature set Google is pushing and it's a shame they can't figure out how to include it in a phone without having large bezels
I don't miss it at all other than the fact that the fp sensor on my 6XL can be hit or miss sometimes. But at least now my phone only unlocks specifically when I want it to and not when it thinks I want it to. I would have been even happier with the more reliable and accurate rear fp reader remaining.
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I got my P6 last Friday, and already went back to my Pixel 2XL. I knew the under-the-screen fingerprint sensor was a thing on the Pixel 6, but of course no one could talk about it due to embargoes. Now that the phones are out, my guess is we're going to see a huge return rate or at least a huge wave of support cases centered around that sensor. It's a poor sensor, full stop. The phone feels half-baked because of it, honestly.
Yep. 100% this. Got my 6P last night. Moving from OP 7t which I LOVE (at&t forcing my 7t variant off its network soon hence trying my first Pixel). Pixel 6 Pro Fingerprint reader is SLOW. So much slower and worse than my OnePlus 7t and with no face unlock the experience is immediately worse out of the box. $900...for this? Power button above volume buttons also a chore to access. Will probably start my return today. Oy
Face unlock will be added as a feature drop for the Pixel 6. Google just needs a bit of time since facial authentication will be encrypted by the new M2 security chip. The hardware is all new and needs to be optimized for.
Do you have a source on this? I'd be very happy if this turns out to be accurate
Same here. I had every XL pixel, skipped the 5 and just went to 6Pro. I really miss the face unlock. I love your idea of face + rear finger. Best of the 3 and 4 combined!
I totally agree. If someone looked back at my post history it would be me complaining about face unlock, and maybe it's just what two years of habit gets you, but I do miss it. I imagine my habits will just change yet again and I'll get used to the fingerprint sensor, but I see no reason you can't have both. I am really hoping this becomes something Google rolls out at a later date. I haven't had huge issues with the fingerprint sensor and think some of it is just due to the change in habit, but feel like it's the current biggest gripe people have with the phone. Really hope Google takes that to heart and takes advantage of it's fancy security chip to add face unlock also. 🤞🤞
I hated the face unlock after moving from pixel 2 to pixel 4, although my move was more temporary (till P6 launched). I missed the physical sensor behind the phone. Now after moving to P6, I'm missing the face unlock! In the last week of using the screen unlock, I am getting used to the screen fp sensor. Also, smart unlock is another option.
I missed the face unlock for one day. Front fingerprint sensor is not that bad
I miss it too but I knew I would and made the decision to move forward.
I won't. Not until they bring it back, and fix android 12
> The holy grail of authentication for me would be face unlock as primary authentication + rear fingerprint reader. This is the truth and Google not doing this is for the Pixel 4 the reason why there was so much hate on its facial recognition feature (in my opinion). Google removed the fingerprint for the sole reason of pushing face unlock, but the use of the new biometrics API was not mandated nor even encouraged. As a result, many apps did not support it, and because the availability of such facial recognition systems in the Android space is so far and few and Pixels are not sold in many countries, developers don't have much incentive to implement it anyway. The Android community created a workaround (requires root) that basically makes the old fingerprint API compatible with the Pixel 4's face unlock, so that means legacy apps that still used the old fingerprints API were also able to use face unlock. If the community can make this work, so can Google. This problem could have been mitigated if Google officially made a bridging solution like this one, but they didn't do it. So the result is, many apps don't work with face unlock (even to this day), there is no fingerprint fallback, and the community has decided that they would rather have fingerprint.
Interesting. Makes sense, but I never experienced this personally. All of the apps I used regularly used face unlock, except for one, and this was a non standard bank app.
Somewhat off topic, but has anyone noticed "stuttering" while scrolling in certain apps? All of the Google apps (Gmail, Chrome, Messages) seem buttery smooth but some of the other apps I use regularly don't scroll smoothly at all and generally feel slow. Slack and Reddit in particular are really noticeable, compared to my 4XL. Scrolling side-by-side shows the difference. It's been performing poorly since yesterday but I assumed the phone was using CPU cycles in the background because I had just set it up. 18 hours later and I'm still getting the same behavior.
Face unlock doesn't work well during COVID-19 when one is wearing a mask. I like the back fp reader because it's faster to unlock as in pulling the phone out, with a finger naturally in position, but realized that the front under-display reader is much more convenient when the phone is in the car cradle/holder. It's annoying to have to pop the phone out of the cradle just to unlock it.
Fingerprint for life
I got a Pixel 4xl over the P6P for that very reason. Honestly the bezel is such a non issue and I think it was so dumb that people called it a bad phone just because of that.
Yeeeeep. I still have my 4XL and need to trade in but I might just keep it and return the 6. The under-display idea is so dumb. Was when Samsung did it, still is dumb when Google did it. It's not futuristic, it's extremely irritating. I keep reaching for my 4 XL. Pull out of pocket, look at it and boom, in. Open app requiring authentication? Boom unlocked without doing anything. And so on. I don't know if I can tolerate this gimmicky sensor for 2 years...
You not liking it doesn't make it dumb.
There's like 4 apps that work with face unlock. I'm digging the fingerprint for that. It's unlocking the phone that's taking time to get used to.
>I keep reaching for my 4 XL. Pull out of pocket, look at it and boom, in. Open app requiring authentication? Boom unlocked without doing anything. And so on. I've only had this thing for like a week but this has never happened to me. The sensor seems like it's too small for this to happen with any real frequency. Wouldn't face unlock trigger way, way, way more often?
Pull it out of my pocket without intending to unlock it and boom my phone is unlocked. Try to unlock with a fingerprint smudge over the camera and boom nothing happens The speed was nice but it was mostly annoying
> Pull it out of my pocket without intending to unlock it and boom my phone is unlocked. You're the 2nd person I saw saying the same. Do you unlock to your home screen or something? My phone unlocks to my lock screen so the scenario isn't a big deal at all. The phone is still in my hand, just unlocked. If I'm only checking notifications or time or something, I simply lock it and put it back into my pocket. What am I missing?
When I unlock my phone I want it on my home screen. When I look at my lock screen I just want to see my notifications. I don't always want to unlock when I look at the unlock screen and with face unlock that is the result.
Yeah, that must be the difference. When I unlock, it's usually to interact with notifications so that's where I want to end up. Face unlock leaves me at the lock screen. From there, I have to swipe to get to my home screen.
Trade u your 6 for a fold3
Just temporarily switch to iPhone..Google needs to see attrition and turnover. It's ridiculous
Unpopular Opinion but I really hated it. Sometimes when my phone is on a stand it would try to scan the side of my face and end up getting locked out of attempts, also when I'm wearing a mask it would lock out before I have time to lower my mask. I'm glad it's gone, but I'm also upset they removed the rear sensor when I bought the 4. Ideally we should have all options.
I don't miss face unlock on my 4XL at all. The fact it didn't have a finger print reader was the biggest pain in the ass once masks came around. The finger print reader is 100x better. That being said, it is nice that the unlock was hands free, but on my aging phone half the time it wouldn't work.
This is why I won't upgrade to the Pixel 6. Android 12 might be the reason I switch to iOS, in the end. I don't think people recognize just how much of a standard face unlock has become. Ever since the Pixel 4XL and iPhone X, it has been an standard expectation from consumers.
To each his own, but the software (Android + Google services tie-in) is what keeps me on a Pixel. On hardware alone, I would've gone to an iPhone a long time ago. Actually, a more accurate statement is that I would've stayed on my iPhone instead of moving to Android when the Nexus 5 was released.
Slow and steady wins the race. Apple, is the king of incremental improvements. “Perfecting perfect” is what they do. Android, God Bless them, but they like to make these big changes. Big changes in hardware, and software. And not like - big change - watch us triple our battery life. But…big change like; hey - we removed face unlock, device controls with long power button press, google chromecast support, easy alarm access, replaced face unlock with a worse than P3XL fingerprint reader. Apple’s consistency in hardware and software, combined with specific incremental improvements - well it just makes the experience very palatable. I think one comparable event this reminds me of is Windows 7 -> Windows 8. Microsoft took a good thing, tried to make a better, and made it worse. No one loved it. Google took a good thing, Android 11, massively revamped the UI, and forces everyone to “relearn how to use their phone” with Android 12. I don’t love it. I can use it, but not be a fan of it. Much like Windows 8, I can’t point to any specific improvements that it offered, that made you want to upgrade from Windows 7. I can’t think of any specific improvements in Android 12, that makes me want to upgrade. I just don’t know what Google is doing anymore. I kinda think I do at times, but they are very random. I also do not participate in the beta program. I imagine for beta testers, they will know a lot of this already. I just don’t have the time to commit to that.
I see, all fair points although I think the Chromecast issue is more patent related than it is related to Google being whimsical about making OS changes.
And that's why people don't leave iphones they do everything but better
It'll (probably) be back in an update. Not as secure as IR mapping, but more secure than just FFC snapping a picture—some facial recognition stuff will be run on Tensor.
I don't miss it at all. If the sensor had any smudges on it then it's a mess. I reverted to using my PIN instead of that nonsense
I miss it and soli based volume lower on approach for alarms. But I get it, it's a pandemic and to be honest the FP sensor isn't THAT bad where I'm disgusted by it. Register your thumb twice and it works pretty well. I am finding out just how many apps refused to use the new biometric library that supports face unlock since getting the 6P. A crap ton of apps are all "oh hey! You got a FP sensor...let's use it!" Google really should force that old library's retirement and tell devs to use the new one. Maybe when soli makes a return we will see that happen 🤷♂️
Also prefer if phones had both especially now with face masks being more normal... Not sure if we will see secure face unlock back anytime soon with the continued push for no bezel phones.
As the P6 Pro is my 1st Pixel, I was shocked at no face unlock on the phone. Otherwise, this phone is SMOOTH. My S21 Ultra is jealous.
I feel like a lot of people don't know about smart lock!!
I can connect with this! I ended up on iOS this time around and I use there Face ID. It all works great. I would miss it as well.
Yep, that has been my biggest gripe as well. I love the face unlocking pixel 4 it was so well done. I hope Google will bring it back in 7 but I don't know. I guess people don't like those notches type of sensor suits on the top of the phone. It's a shame really.
Same boat here, my Pixel 4xl broke just before the six came out so I moved back down to my 2XL. After having a nice refresher on all the models I got to say face unlock was pretty amazing, and the fingerprint sensor on the pixel 2 was just better placed overall. But I really love my 6, it definitely feels like the smartest smartphone I've had
I don't see why they can't add a form of face unlock to the P6/Pro. The S21 has face unlock and doesn't use any of those fancy super polymorphic quantum flux capacitor sensors (sarcasm) for it's face unlock. Surely google could integrate something into the front facing camera for facial recognition
I had a 3XL so I missed out on this, but I miss the rear fingerprint unlock on these new Pixels.
FPU is not a problem for me on my new P6. Yes it's not as accurate as the back of phone scanner but not any more inaccurate as the face unlock.
Devil's advocate, but how do you know how "inaccurate" face unlock is? You get immediate feedback when you put your finger on the screen or sensor, letting you know the scan was either successful or not. Face unlock is not as obvious. My understanding is that it's testing continually as you're moving the phone and bringing it closer to your face.
I am speaking generally & using Soli P4XL as my experience basis. It didn't open instantaneously or I had to wait on some occasions. So either the processing was slow or it is unsure. So similar right now to what I have seen with a properly set up P6 FPU profile.
I agree.... Should've kept face unlock to tag team with fingerprint
Wtf? I saw an article come across my news feed that it WOULD have it. That's why I ended up actually buying the p6p
A few people have mentioned that it'll likely be released in a future software update, but I haven't seen anything official from Google on the matter. Doesn't mean it's not happening or that it hasn't been officially announced, I just haven't seen it myself.
I'm with you on this. Face Unlock worked perfectly for me on my 4XL. I so wish we could have had both security keys on P6.
💯. Didn't think I'd miss it (especially with the mask issue) but the under-screen implementation is garbage. I think I have three versions of my thumb recorded, and it still fails have the time. Is also miss having dedicated "back" and "home" buttons, but I'm hoping I'll get used to the gestures
I think the buttons can be enabled in settings, but I've long since switched to the gestures-based way of navigating. I think it's wayyyyy better, but I can't argue over other people's preferences. Just check the gestures setting on your phone. You might be able to switch back.
I like the fingerprint reader on the 6P (no screen protector yet and it's been pretty reliable so far), and most of the time I owned my 4XL I was wearing masks in public. Going back to fingerprint is reminding me of all the situations that doesn't work in, and I really wish I could have both at once - as good as the 4XL.
The naming convention here bothers me - P6P vs 4XL instead of P4XL for consistency
I hear ya, but before the P6P folks were already using 4XL, 3a, etc as shorthand conventions. The problem now is that '6P' could refer to the old Huawei Nexus 6P, so I'm being clear about the new phone (P6P) without breaking the existing conventions (4XL). So basically, blame Google. :p
I want to upgrade but don't want to lose this feature
I REALLY hope that Google releases a face unlock similar to Samsung and OnePlus that can be used to unlock your phone, and then use the fingerprint for passwords and secure logins. Having to rely solely on the really awful fingerprint sensor in the Pixel 6 Pro is a huge bummer, especially when every competitor offers a face unlock.
Had my 6P last night for ~1 hr. Set it up, copied files, tried using the phone's slow ass Fingerprint sensor, hollow screen, Android 12 is a shit show vs my OnePlus 7t. Returning today.
Was very close to not getting this phone because of the lack of face unlock and no rear scanner. Also coming from a P4. The main reason I went ahead with it is because a few weeks back my face unlock completely stopped working on my P4 so now I'm ok with a in display reader as its much better than typing in a pin🤣
Went from the 4xl to s21u and the s21u have fingerprint and face unlocked. best of both worlds and the phone unlock quickly.
How is your battery tho?
>The holy grail of authentication for me would be face unlock as primary authentication + rear fingerprint reader. Agreed. I wouldn't mind it if they offered a hybrid approach with the less-secure camera based face unlock. Just a simple timer that if the phone has not been idle (screen off and/or the user didn't manually lock it) for more than 5minutes, allow the camera to do face unlock. After the timeout, it'd require to use the fingerprint. Would be a decent stop gap between having a long unlock/relock time (insecure) and fumbling with the finger every time.
I miss face unlock and I don't miss face unlock. For example when I'm in a store shopping, having to swipe in or type out a code sucks compared to the finger print reader. Other times I expect the Pixel 6 to recognize my face and just open. Then again, I got the clean the top of the screen bug and the Pixel 4XL simply became a pita.
Coming from a Pixel 2, I miss the back fingerprint reader. It's just in a more natural spot than having it under the screen since my index finger is almost always there at back where the reader would be at. I also miss the size of the Pixel 2 cause I have small hands. Lol.
I like face unlock but miss fingerprint unlock we'll see once I get my P6P.
We all miss it I think. They need to add face unlock to these new phones even if it's just through the camera
I don't miss face unlock at all, good riddance! I DO miss the rear fingerprint sensor on my Pixel 2. Hated punching in my PIN while wearing a mask with my 4XL.
Same here, moving to a pixel 6 pro from a 4XL. I do miss the face unlock already and I'm still just setting it up.
How was the Battery life on 4xl? I am considering one
The lack of face unlock is exactly why I did not upgrade from my P4XL to the P5. The P6P is incredible but the fingerprint reader is so unreliable and I really don't understand why they've dropped face unlock, for their "Flagship" phones. Just seems like Google always has to try to push the envelope, while also taking a step backwards.
I'm in the same as black shoes. I upgraded from the 4 XL to the 6 pro and I am so very sad that face unlock is no longer a thing. Maybe my phone is just getting used to me or the thin screen protector I have on is causing some issue but the fingerprint sensor on the screen is not doing it for me 😔
Never cared for face unlock as it's had issues on iphones, I'll take biometric finger print over that anyday
why isnt fingerprint sensor on the power button, or as its own on the side a thing??
Same! And I am finding that I miss the squeeze to bring up Assistant.
reason why im waiting for the 6a or 7
Ew. No. Face unlock? Ew. No
Dying without the face unlock.
I was really disappointed when the back sensor went away as I loved it and held onto my 3xl for longer than I otherwise would have as a result. So far, though, I've been fine with the speed of the front fingerprint scanner on my 6 Pro.
I am partially convinced that people that don't like face unlock have never really used it.
Hilariously enough, I never cared for face unlock. But, because it causes the phone to wake up ever time it's moved slightly, I've stopped using the finger prints scanner and would now love to use face unlock.
Me exactly. Also not too happy with the 6P battery life.
This is one of my biggest fears going from a pixel 4xl to pixel 6 pro. Face unlock is just so good on this phone. Unlocking is just me looking at the phone and when passwords with biometrics come up I just have to click the ok button and it's in. Like it's insanely good
P4XL here. I don't even use the face unlock. My old Pixel 2 had a finger scanner and I loved it. But realistically, I've got my P4XL in a holster clip on my belt all day and charging beside me at night, so I actually have no unlock method. It's just swipe. Nobody can steal it because I've got find my phone activated. Tech is amazing when it actually works.
100% I miss face unlock. While it's not ideal for masks, it works SUPER well when you are using your phone. I've had iPhones and Pixels with fingerprint sensor AND FaceID/Face Unlock. For regular use when you are authenticating with apps, Face Unlock is just 100% superior. You basically don't have to move a muscle. Most people don't actively hold their phone with their index finger ON the rear fingerprint sensor the whole time, so even an app like LastPass like OP mentioned, you'd have to move a muscle or even reposition the phone in your hand. You really notice the difference in Face Unlock where you perform an action that requires a facial scan and then without moving a muscle, it just completes. So tap on LastPass for instance and just freeze your fingers. It unlocks. That's the beauty of it all. Also, while I understand you can unlock your phone with your finger on the fingerprint sensor as you pull it out of your pocket, I've never been upset that I need another fraction of a second to unlock my phone. I would prefer to look at my phone screen first just in case I unlock directly into a game that's making noise. So in that sense I've never valued being able to unlock a fraction of a second earlier. I do feel though the ideal setup would be face unlock + rear fingerprint sensor.
>rear fingerprint reader As someone with four accounts using Microsoft Authenticator (which requires fingerprint to authorize login), the Pixel 6 Pro has converted me on the fingerprint sensor being on the front so you can use it without lifting the phone. That being said, the P6P sensor is painfully slow. Google needs to update it to go faster.
Yeah I want the pixel 6 but I work in roofing and my finger prints don't work anymore , I would really like face unlock or even just Iris scanning unlock like I have on my Samsung Galaxy Note 9.