Google Pixel 4 Will Steal One of the iPhone XS’ Standout Features

Google is expected to steal one of the iPhone XS’ biggest features. But the Mountain View company is reportedly going about it in a really weird way.

Based on most current rumors, the upcoming Google Pixel 4 will have two major features new to the lineup.

1. One of them could be related to Google’s Project Soli radar system.
2. The other could be advanced facial recognition that goes a step beyond Android’s current unsecured platform. In other words, Google’s version of Face ID.

While advanced facial authentication for the Pixel 4 is just a rumor at this point, Google is apparently in the midst of collecting facial data for something. That’s where the weirdness comes in.

Google’s Weird Collection Methods

In a nutshell, Google employees appear to be approaching random people in the street and asking them for their facial data in return for a $5 gift card to Starbucks or Amazon.

That’s according to a report from ZDNet citing an engineer named George who lives in New York. Recently, George was approached by Google employees while hanging out in a park.

While he expected the employees to say that they were carrying out some type of survey, they actually told George that they were collecting facial data to “improve the next generation of facial recognition phone unlocking.” The employees added that Google has multiple teams in different cities doing the same thing.

George agreed. He was then handed a phone inside a large case and told to take several different angles of his face via the front-facing camera. In return, the Google employees reportedly gave him the $5 gift card.

That is, admittedly, strange. Approaching random people on the street hardly seems like the most efficient way to collect facial data for algorithm training.

But either way, it does suggest that Google is developing its own Face ID-killer.

The Google Pixel 4

Other than facial recognition, the Google Pixel 4 is also expected to feature a hole-punch camera design, a dual-lens rear camera setup for the larger model, a faster processor and a bigger battery, among other changes.

Google has also been teasing the back view of the device, and recent leaks have revealed the apparent front of it — hinting at it being equipped with multiple front-facing sensors.

The Pixel 4 lineup is likely to debut sometime in October, per Google’s past announcement dates.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]