google pixel 4

With the COVID-19 having hit industries and businesses around the world, the tech world had been looking for some respite. Major tech companies from around the world canceled their councils, conferences and new releases, owing to the pandemic. Companies such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft have indefinitely postponed their important meetings and even moved some online. However, amidst all this, tech fans finally have some good news to take their mind off the negativity. Earlier today, Google released a new update for the Pixel 4, and it has got the entire tech world talking! Here’s a look at what the latest update is and why fans are so excited regarding it.

Eyes Ahead

The new update for the Pixel 4 makes it mandatory for users to open their eyes while unlocking the phone via face unlock. As per the latest update, “Require eyes open” will serve as the default feature, adding an extra level of security to these phones. However, if found to be annoying or unnecessary, users may turn the option off via the phone’s unlock setting’s panel. When the Pixel 4 launched earlier, not having an open-eye detection on its face unlock was seen as a significant disadvantage. Tech critics and security experts had all criticized the company for not having such an in-built function. The primary point of discussion is that since it wasn’t present, people could unlock the Pixel 4 while someone was sleeping. However, Google seemed to have taken the criticism seriously, because they announced last October that the security enhancement feature would roll on out in a few months. It sure looks like they have kept the promise, with the new update coming in on April 7th.

Features of Contemporaries

It isn’t just Google, but Apple as well who has focused on this feature in recent years. Apple has made it compulsory for users to have their eyes open while using their Face ID, ever since 2017. According to this function, users must have their eyes open and look directly at the camera, to unlock the iPad or iPhone. Furthermore, other major mobile phone manufacturers also seem to be picking up on this trend to better their security.

Furthermore, the new update also introduces corrections with regards to the Pixel’s Bluetooth audio input. The phone faced issues regarding connectivity as calls would be dropped, or lagged behind when using certain apps. The update aims to correct these issues and put an end to the woes users have with the Pixel’s Bluetooth.

Long time Coming

During their launch, both the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL lacked the feature that required the user’s eyes to be open to unlock the phone. The Android 11 Developer Preview 2 that came out last month introduced that feature to newer versions of the phone. Moreover, today’s update will make the option available to Android 10 users of the Pixel 4. In theory, this feature is said to drastically reduce faulty or erroneous activations. Further, the security patch will fall under the “Always require confirmation” section, which can be changed by the user as and when required.

Last October, Google added Motion Sense and Soli to speed up their IR camera system. The security feature has been in development for much longer as the company had made it clear in October, that the feature would be coming soon. For users who do not wish to use this feature, the company has suggested enabling the Lockdown feature, which makes it possible to unlock the phone using a passcode. The update also dealt with a memory address leak that was affecting the quality of Bluetooth Low Energy on the device. Another patch helps get rid of the lag that exists when the keyboard has to appear within specific applications. Older handsets, such as the Pixel 2, Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a also get access to this update, but the further back you go, the lesser additions they will be able to handle.