Pixel 4 and 4 XL hands-on: Google ditches fingerprint scanner for face unlock

Android

Pixel 4 and 4 XL hands-on: Google ditches fingerprint scanner for face unlock

Micheline Lykke

October 15, 2019

Pixel 4 and 4 XL hands-on: Google ditches fingerprint scanner for face unlock

Like the iPhone 11, the Pixel 4 has a sq. digital camera array that homes the 2 rear cameras.
Angela Lang/CNET
It’s official: Google on Tuesday formally introduced the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. Finally! The Pixel 4 is among the most leaked telephones in latest reminiscence. In reality, Google itself teased a photograph it and the 4 XL again in June on Twitter. The new Pixel telephones pack twin rear cameras, a 90Hz show, radar-powered face unlock and a slew of distinctive options like automotive crash detection and reside video captioning. In an Amazon-style autumnal windfall of merchandise, additionally unveiled on the 2019 Made by Google occasion in New York had been the Pixel Buds 2 wi-fi earphones, Pixelbook Go Chromebook, Nest Mini sensible speaker and Nest Wifi sensible router.The Pixel 4 begins at $799 (£669) for a 64GB model and $899 (£829) for the Pixel 4 XL. Both can be found in black, white or orange, which Google calls “Oh So Orange.” You can improve both cellphone to 128GB for $100 extra. (This choice is US-only.) Preorders are reside and the telephones ship beginning Oct. 24. And for the primary time, you should buy the Pixel 4 immediately from all main US carriers. While it is Google’s flip to take the cellphone highlight, the 2019 stage is already full of latest opponents, together with Apple’s iPhone 11 and 11 Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10 and relaunched Galaxy Fold. The iPhone 11 and Galaxy S10E are two of the better-matched rivals to the Pixel 4 and each are $100 cheaper. Then there’s the OnePlus 7 Pro, which packs a 90Hz display just like the Pixel 4 however prices $130 much less. And in fact there are final 12 months’s Pixel 3 telephones, which Google has chopped $300 off.

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A brand new industrial design The Pixel 4 comes with a brand new design and sq. digital camera ingredient all belted in neatly across the sides by a slick-looking aluminum band. Good information: The Pixel 4 XL loses the Pixel 3 XL’s ugly notch and as a substitute has a brow bezel that homes the selfie digital camera and face unlock sensors. On the left, the Pixel 4; on the proper, the Pixel 4 XL.
Angela Lang/CNET
The new Pixels are only a millimeter or so larger and a tad heavier than final 12 months’s Pixel 3 and 3 XL, giving the 4 and 4 XL a extra sturdy really feel than earlier Google telephones. There’s Gorilla Glass 5 on the back and front, and the telephones are rated IP68 for mud and water resistance. On the within is a Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB of RAM and wi-fi charging. There are stereo audio system and a USB-C port on the underside. Curiously, the batteries on the Pixel 4 and 4 XL have a decrease capability in comparison with those on the 3 and 3XL. Android 10 ought to assist maximize the battery’s effectivity, however I look ahead to seeing the way it handles in actual life, particularly with that prime refresh-rate display.

Pixel 4’s Smooth Display has a 90Hz refresh charge Some of the most important modifications are on the entrance, with the Pixel 4’s new 90Hz OLED “Smooth Display.” Like the OnePlus 7 Pro and final 12 months’s Asus ROG cellphone, this display refreshes 90 instances a second, making graphics and animations look clean and textual content seem sharp. For reference, the vast majority of telephones bought right now have a 60Hz show, together with the newest telephones from Apple and Samsung. I ought to notice that Asus not too long ago launched the ROG cellphone 2, which has an OLED display with a 120Hz refresh charge, the primary on any cellphone. Depending on what content material is on display, the Pixel 4 will mechanically swap between refresh charges to greatest optimize efficiency and battery drain. So should you’re studying an e-mail message, the show may drop right down to refresh charge of 60 instances a second, however should you’re scrolling by way of Instagram it would bump as much as 90 instances a second. You can hold the Pixel 4’s show at a continuing 90Hz should you select. The Pixel 4 has a 5.7-inch display, which is bigger than the 5.5-inch one discovered on the Pixel 3, whereas the Pixel 4 XL has a 6.3-inch show, the identical dimension as final 12 months’s Pixel 3 XL. The new shows even have a function referred to as Ambient EQ that adapts the display’s colour temperature to make colours look extra pure below completely different lighting conditions. It’s much like Apple’s True Tone shows on the iPhone and iPad. By the best way, you may flip Ambient EQ on or off.
Motion Sense radar for safe face unlock But it is what’s above the display that’s actually spectacular. It’s referred to as Motion Sense and it makes use of a mixture of sensors, infrared and a tiny radar to allow you to unlock the Pixel 4 together with your face. It’s the primary Android cellphone with face unlock that’s safe sufficient for use for funds with Google Pay in addition to with password apps. It’s a great factor, as a result of Google nixed the fingerprint scanner on the Pixel 4 and 4 XL.When I demoed face unlock it was fairly quick. Part of that velocity comes from the truth that the cellphone detects your hand as you attain for it and preps the cameras to unlock. Motion Sense can be utilized in different cases. If you are listening to Spotify, for instance, you may swipe by way of the air above the Pixel to skip to the following observe. Google additionally has reside wallpapers that react to your hand motions like sending hearts to a Pokemon. You may even swipe your hand by way of the air to dismiss a name or an alarm. In the demos I used to be proven, it labored persistently effectively. The Pixel 4 has two rear cameras and may {photograph} stars Perhaps the obvious design change is to the rear cameras. (Here’s what pictures from the Pixel 4 digital camera appear to be.) And sure, that is cameras plural. All earlier generations of the Pixel solely had a single rear digital camera, however the Pixel 4 has two cameras nestled into its sq. digital camera array. The primary digital camera is identical 12-megapixel one discovered on the Pixel 3 and has the identical f/1.7 extensive angle lens. The new f/2.4 “telephoto” digital camera has a 16-megapixel sensor and offers 2x optical zoom. When I requested Google why it opted for a telephoto digital camera as a substitute of the extra fashionable ultrawide-angle digital camera like ones discovered within the Galaxy S10 household and the brand new iPhones, a spokesperson stated they thought that zooming in on a topic could be extra necessary to Pixel homeowners. The twin digital camera system brings a bunch of enhancements and new options. Night Sight, which launched on the Pixel 3 and captures a collection of photos to make low-light pictures brighter, is now able to taking pictures of stars. Yes, that is proper. You can now be an astrophotographer by utilizing nothing greater than your cellphone. The sq. digital camera array on the again of the Pixel 4.
Angela Lang/CNET
When taking HDR Plus footage, the Pixel 4 now exhibits a reside preview of what the picture will appear to be earlier than you’re taking it. On the Pixel 3, you needed to wait a second or so for the cellphone to course of earlier than seeing how your last picture turned out. Google additionally added twin sliders that allow you to regulate highlights and shadows independently within the viewfinder preview as a substitute of simply the general publicity. Portrait mode pictures are actually created utilizing each rear cameras. Google claims that this improves the reduce and edge blur of topics over earlier Pixel telephones. You now even have the choice to take wide-angle portrait mode pics. All these enhancements are powered by a brand new Neural Core chip that processes every part regionally on the Pixel 4. The twin selfie cameras of the Pixel 3 are gone, with Google choosing a single 8-megapixel digital camera with a wider default area of view. Video largely stays the identical however now’s able to reside real-time audio transcription that provides captions to your movies as you document them. In reality, Google launched its first audio recorder app constructed upon the identical expertise for immediate audio transcription. Sorry Otter.ai. Google Assistant is healthier built-in all through There’s a brand new model of Google Assistant that is higher built-in all through the cellphone. You can nonetheless set off it by squeezing the edges of the cellphone or by saying, “Hey Google,” however you can even activate it by swiping up diagonally from one of many backside corners of the cellphone. Google says that voice instructions are improved and that there’s higher app management, contextual instructions and sharing choices. Car crash detection with the Safety app The Neural Core that powers the cameras can be utilized by the Pixel 4 to detect automotive crashes. The function is a part of the Safety app, which is presently solely accessible within the US. If you’ve got been in a critical automotive accident, automotive crash detection will mechanically name 911. Google stated that fender benders should not set off it. Check again with CNET as we check the Pixel 4 and 4 XL for our upcoming in-depth assessment. Pixel 4 specs vs. Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, OnePlus 7 Pro

Pixel 4

Pixel 4 XL

Pixel 3

Pixel 3 XL

OnePlus 7 Pro

Display dimension, decision

5.7-inch FHD+ 90Hz OLED

6.3-inch QHD+ 90Hz OLED

5.5-inch OLED; 2,280×1,080 pixels

6.3-inch OLED; 2,960×1,440 pixels

6.67-inch 90Hz AMOLED; 3,120×1,440-pixels

Pixel density

444 ppi

537 ppi

443ppi

522 ppi

516ppi

Dimensions (Inches)

5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3 in

6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3 in

5.7 x 2.7 x 0.3 in

6.2 x 3 x 0.3 in

6.4 x 2.99 x 0.35 in

Dimensions (Millimeters)

147.1 x 68.8 x 8.2 mm

160.4 x 75.1 x 8.2 mm

145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9 mm

158 x 76.7 x 7.9 mm

162.6 x 75.9 x 8.8 mm

Weight (Ounces, Grams)

5.71 oz; 162g

6.81 oz; 193g

5.2 oz; 148g

6.5 oz; 184g

7.27 oz; 206g

Mobile software program

Android 10

Android 9 Pie

Android 9.0 with OxygenOS

Camera

16-megapixel (telephoto), 12.2-megapixel (extensive)

12.2-megapixel

48-megapixel (extensive), 8-megapixel (telephoto), 16-megapixel (extremely extensive)

Front-facing digital camera

8-megapixel

Dual 8-megapixel

16-megapixel

Video seize

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855

Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855

Storage

64GB, 128GB

128GB, 256GB

RAM

6GB

4GB

6GB, 8GB, 12GB

Expandable storage

None

Battery

2,800 mAh

3,700 mAh

2,915 mAh

3,430 mAh

4,000 mAh

Fingerprint sensor

None (Face unlock)

Back cowl

In-display fingerprint sensor

Connector

USB-C

Headphone jack

Special options

IP68; Qi-certified wi-fi charging; 18W quick charging

IPX8; wi-fi charging assist; Pixel Buds USB-C headphones within the field

IP68; wi-fi charging assist; Pixel Buds USB-C headphones within the field

Warp Charge 30T function; Quick charging

Price off-contract (USD)

$799 (64GB), $899 (128GB)

$899 (64GB), $999 (128GB)

Now right down to: $499 (64GB); $599 (128GB)

Now right down to: $599 (64GB); $699 (128GB)

$669 (128GB/6GB); $699 (256GB/8GB); $749 (256GB/12GB)

Price (GBP)

£669 (64GB)

£829 (64GB)

£739 (64GB); £839 (128GB)

£869 (64GB); £969 (128GB)

£649 (128GB/6GB); £699 (256GB/8GB); £799 (256GB/12GB)

Price (AUD)

TBD

AU$1,199 (64GB); AU$1,349 (128GB)

AU$1,349 (63GB); AU$1,499 (128GB)

Converted: AU$960 (128GB/6GB); AU$1,000 (256GB/8GB); AU$1,080 (256GB/12GB)