Technology Google responds to uproar over Pixel 4 face unlock security, says it’ll soon work just like iPhones

We’ve known for several months that the Pixel 4 will feature support for 3D face recognition, as Google announced the feature well before this fall’s Made by Google event. At the time, Google also unveiled the Motion Sense radar, saying that the Soli chip will help improve the speed of Face unlock. What Google failed to mention at the time, or during the Pixel 4 event, is that its Face unlock feature isn’t, for the time being, on par with the iPhone’s Face ID. That’s because the Pixel 4 can be unlocked even if your eyes are closed, as some people discovered after the press conference. Face ID on all iOS devices that have TrueDepth cameras, from iPhone X to iPhone 11, work differently, packing a Require Attention security feature that should make it impossible for anyone to point the iPhone to your face while you’re sleeping to get access. Google has acknowledged the issue and says an Eyes open feature is coming soon.

Pixel 4 stole one more feature from the iPhone, but Google made it much better

No matter how much it hurts Android fans to hear it, Google has been copying the iPhone ever since the first Pixel came out, and the Pixel 4 does it also. And yes, Apple has taking stuff from Google too, but things are far from being even. Up until now, we thought that Google only adapted one iPhone feature for the Pixel 4 series — and Android. That’s 3D face recognition, something that hasn't been done on phones before the iPhone X. It took two years for Google to pull 3D face recognition off, and Google is one of the few companies that tried to replicate Face ID — Xiaomi, Huawei, and LG did it with a few of their devices too.

Heck, the Pixel 4 face unlock reportedly works when the person is sleeping too, and it’s believed that there’s no way to toggle an eye check. Google ’s decision to go with a main+telephoto arrangement mimics the setup long used by iPhones . But even Apple has moved past this arrangement in favor of

“ Pixel 4 face unlock meets the security requirements as a strong biometric, and can be used for payments and app authentication, including banking apps. It is resilient against invalid unlock attempts via other means, like with masks.” The temporary solution Google is talking about is Lockdown mode

© Provided by Penske Media Corporation pixel-4-face-unlock-eyes-open-feature-pixel-3-android-10

© Provided by Penske Media Corporation pixel-4

“We’ve been working on an option for users to require their eyes to be open to unlock the phone, which will be delivered in a software update in the coming months,” Google told BGR in a statement. “In the meantime, if any Pixel 4 users are concerned that someone may take their phone and try to unlock it while their eyes are closed, they can activate a security feature that requires a pin, pattern or password for the next unlock. Pixel 4 face unlock meets the security requirements as a strong biometric, and can be used for payments and app authentication, including banking apps. It is resilient against invalid unlock attempts via other means, like with masks.”

New Pixel 4 leak reveals sky-high price tag

Google will unveil several new products on Tuesday, including the Pixel 4 phones that have been featured in so many leaks. We still have some more Pixel 4 rumors for you before the big show kicks off though, with the latest one suggesting that the Pixel 4 will indeed be more expensive than its predecessor. That also means the Pixel 4 will cost more than some of its biggest rivals out there, including the iPhone 11 and OnePlus 7T phones. TheThe Pixel 4 phones have been confirmed and reconfirmed several times, with different sources delivering plenty of details about the new features Google cooked up for this generation of Pixel phones. But pricing in the United States is still something of a mystery.

Google says that "it has "been working on an option for users to require their eyes to be open to unlock the The Pixel 4 ’s face unlock feature is very similar to the iPhone ’s system, utilizing Users can disable that feature if they like . Google had previously said that “We don’t have anything

Google 's Pixel 4 Face Unlock feature replaces the fingerprint sensor and works similarly to Apple's Previously, Google said that Face Unlock "is designed to get better over time with future software updates Despite the security implications of Face Unlock working even if your eyes are closed

Google explains again that Face unlock is just as secure as Face ID, and that’s not something anyone has disputed.

As for the security feature that you can activate as a replacement, Google mentions the Lockdown option that we’ve told you about before — here’s what you need to know about it.

It’s unclear how soon the Eyes open feature will arrive, but 9to5Google reports that the security feature can already be found on the Pixel 3 by searching for “eyes,” as seen in the following screenshot:

The Pixel 3, of course, lacks support for 3D Face unlock, so it’s pointless to even try to enable the security feature for face authentication.

It goes without saying that the Pixel 4 phones that are shipping to customers later this week will not have Eyes open enabled, so you should rely on a PIN or password if you’re worried anyone can abuse the feature to unlock your device. Either that or start using the lockdown feature at the link above.

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Apple allegedly tests technology - iPhone 8 with 3D face recognition?

In the smartphone world, all eyes are currently focused on the upcoming iPhone 8. The most exciting questions currently: What happens to the fingerprint sensor Touch ID? Where is he placed? Or does he disappear completely? Allegedly, Apple is testing a 3D face recognition to unlock the iPhone 8.

© rtr, RD / JS / HD Apple iPhone 7 Plus - unpack and set up

Apple could unlock its next iPhone according to a media report via face recognition. The function is being tested, the financial service Bloomberg wrote.

With a new 3D sensor it should take only a few hundred milliseconds to recognize the user and unlock the device, it was said relying on informed persons. The verification of payments and to start protected apps should run on it. The goal is to use the technology to replace the current fingerprint scanner.

The Bloomberg report pours oil into the fire when discussing where the next iPhone will be the fingerprint scanner. Since the iPhone 5s in 2013 he has been installed in the round home button at the bottom of the screen.

But the trend is that the screens fill as much as possible the whole surface of the front. Apple is also expected to dramatically narrow the edges around the display on its next iPhone this fall. There would be no room left for the familiar physical button.

Touch ID central element of the Apple security concept

Apple had made the "Touch ID" fingerprint scan a central element of its security concept. This not only iPhones, iPad tablets and now also some models of Macbook Pro laptops unlocked, but also payments via the payment service Apple Pay be verified.

There are two ways to solve the problem with the lack of space on the front of the iPhone. For one, Apple could follow some smart phone manufacturers using the Google Android system and move the fingerprint sensor to the back of the device, where it can still be accessed with some ease using the index finger.

Samsung went this way in his current top model Galaxy S8 , in which the placement right next to the camera made for criticism. Better that has solved about Google at its current pixel .

was repeatedly reported but also Apple try to leave the fingerprint sensor on the front and integrate with a virtual home button directly into the display. That would be the technically more sophisticated version, but would require from long-term users no relearning.

Also, the Samsung Galaxy S8 features face recognition

For months, there are contradictory reports, whether Apple can implement this or the technological challenge is currently too large. Times circulated alleged plans and housing blanks with a round sensor on the back, sometimes without - which was interpreted as an indication that Apple has finally mastered the problems.

But recently, a well-known analyst cooled the euphoria of the nerds noticeably: The virtual home button in the display will not have fingerprint recognition because the technology does not work well enough, wrote Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities. Instead, he expects Touch ID to be replaced with face recognition.

Samsung's Galaxy S8 also offers face recognition as one of the unlock options. But journalists soon realized that the phone was unlocked even if you held a photo of the owner in front of the camera. A 3D sensor could prevent that.

The Bloomberg report was written by Mark Gurman , a young reporter who, as a teenager, was able to record a sensationally detailed preview of various iPhone models and other Apple novelties on the blog "9to5Mac". Gurman's articles are said to have driven the notorious secretive group to even sharper measures against leaks.