Pixel 4 Leak Shows Off Cut Out for New Air Gesture Sensor

Google’s Pixel line has never really been known for hardware design. The phones tend to have a fairly basic, sometimes slightly unique designs, but they are nowhere near the other flagship phones that excel in design. And as it turns out, that might continue to be the case with the upcoming Pixel 4 devices.

Over the weekend, some new pictures of what seems to be a screen protector component for the Pixel 4 was leaked by popular and credible leaker Ice Universe on Twitter. The leaked picture shows off what’s supposed to be the front display of both the Pixel 4 XL and the Pixel 4. And right off the bat, the standout point of the display is the top bezel.

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Google is moving away from the notch display with the Pixel 4 and replacing it with a full-on bezel instead. And that bezel has a lot of holes — 5, to be exact. Two of those are likely for the dual-camera sensor, one for the depth sensor, one for the speaker, and then there’s a new oval cutout for a new sensor. That’s likely going to be the Project Soli sensor Google plans to introduce with the Pixel 4 line.

As we reported earlier, Pixel 4 could come with a new air gesture feature that will allow users to interact with the phone by using gestures. The new sensor internally referred to as the Aware sensor on Android Q betas, could allow you to perform lots of different actions using your hands. We don’t have a lot of information as to how Google will implement this, or if it will work with third-party apps, so it’s a big mystery for now.

Either way, the fact that Google is putting what might just be a huge gimmick front and centre of its flagship phone is quite interesting. Google will obviously introduce upgrades to the internals of the phone and the cameras with the Pixel 4, but this new sensor might be a huge part of the device, at least on the marketing side of things.

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Conversation 6 comments

  • brandonmills

    22 July, 2019 - 9:39 am

    <p>I'm open minded, but I sure hope they focus-tested this feature. Not with whatever group they focus-tested Windows 8 with, either.</p>

    • BrianEricFord

      22 July, 2019 - 9:51 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#444206">In reply to BrandonMills:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>…</p><p><br></p><p>There’s a lot to unpack with your comment.</p>

  • red.radar

    Premium Member
    22 July, 2019 - 10:13 am

    <p>…. so when I am holding my phone I am going to expend energy by using my free hand to wave at it? Rather than just use my thumb to touch the screen? </p><p><br></p><p>Sounds like a gimmick. Didn’t Samsung try this already? </p><p><br></p><p>It has to be for something else </p>

    • karlinhigh

      Premium Member
      22 July, 2019 - 4:59 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#444222"><em>In reply to red.radar:</em></a><em> using my free hand to wave at it?</em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Messy-hands work like mechanic, food prep, or surgeon… with device on a stand or propped somehow… yep, I can see use cases for that.</p><p><br></p><p>But as you say, if no-touch gestures were already tried and found lacking, this better be a big improvement over whatever was done before.</p>

  • JustinMSalvato

    22 July, 2019 - 11:29 am

    <p>are we talking the possibility of sign language for the visually impaired? </p>

  • luthair

    22 July, 2019 - 11:30 pm

    <p>The Amazon Fire Phone also touted gestures as a big feature, I also heard from folks who worked on the device that it was executives who pushed for it despite them testing poorly.</p>

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