Leak Hints Fingerprint Biometrics to Make Comeback in Pixel 5

A collaboration between prolific smartphone tipster OnLeaks and tech news site Pricebaba has given us a look at what is likely to be the Google Pixel 5, and hints that the flagship smartphone may feature multimodal biometric authentication.

Expected to be released sometime in October this year, the Pixel 5 will be Google’s second phone released in 2020, following the launch of the Pixel 4A earlier this month.

Meant to be a budget entry into the competitive smartphone market, the Pixel 4A followed the lead of Apple’s recent iPhone SE 2 launched last spring, and featured a return to the Pixel line’s trademark rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication in lieu of facial recognition.

The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner was a major part of the design language of the Pixel series until the release of the Pixel 4 last October, which came with the debut of Face Unlock, Google’s new 3D facial recognition system. Though the return of fingerprint recognition with the 4A is understandable due to price concerns, it’s inclusion in this latest leak for the Pixel 5 may hint that we will be seeing both forms of biometric authentication in the forthcoming device.

As it is unlikely Google will release two budget smartphones in the same year, only a few months apart and have them compete against each other, it is perhaps more plausible that the Pixel 5 will employ the use of both forms of biometrics, setting it apart from its predecessors.

It should be noted however, that the information from these leaks is speculation, and until any official word comes from Google directly, we won’t know for sure what the newest Pixel will hold until closer to its release date.

Source: Android Authority

(Originally posted on Mobile ID World)