Google launched its new Pixel lineup, which includes the standard Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro, on October 6. The new phone comes with plenty of new features, including the face unlock feature, which fans have been waiting for. However, the Pixel’s face unlock is not as it seems.
It was pointed out by Andreas Proschofsky from Der Standard that the face unlock feature on the Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro is only meant to unlock the phone. Thus, you cannot use it for other authentication purposes. Most phones with face unlock usually offer support for mobile payments and mobile managers, but the Pixel 7 series cannot.
Proschofsky also stated that Google classified its face unlock feature as a Class 1 biometric. This means that it is only for convenience purposes and is not meant to be a security feature. Google confirmed this with Android Police and said that the face unlock feature could only be used for the lock screen.
The limitation of this feature is an odd move because Google does not shy away from letting everyone know their machine learning prowess. There is also no necessary hardware on the device to provide secure facial recognition, as is seen on select Android and Apple phones.
Google also offered other unlocking options, as the phone still features an in-display fingerprint sensor. However, given Pixel’s rocky history with their fingerprint sensors, most should stick with a pin code to unlock their phone if they get a Pixel.
Despite the shortcoming of the face unlock feature, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are powerful machines. They are powered by Google’s latest Tensor G2 chip and have a massive battery that is expected to last over 24 hours. You can also recharge this phone up to 50% from zero in thirty minutes thanks to Google’s 30W charger.
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