10 ANDROID ADVISOR • ISSUE 68
and security, it’s a glaring omission in an otherwise
welcome feature.
Equally frustrating is Face unlock’s lack of app
support. Since Google has taken away the fingerprint
sensor, you’re going to be typing your password a
lot because only a small handful of apps (including
Chrome and Google Pay, naturally) have signed on
to support the Pixel 4 XL’s new biometric. Thankfully,
most password managers aside from LastPass will
hook into Face unlock, but after you’ve logged in,
any repeated authentication will require a passcode.
That’s a major step backward, and given Android’s
history, we’re not convinced those app updates will
arrive in a timely fashion.
Motion Sense
The Pixel 4 XL’s most unique feature is a miniaturized
radar chip that powers the gesture-based Motion
Sense. It works far better than similar features
in other phones, but just like Face unlock, it’s an
update or two away from being truly useful.
In a vacuum, Motion Sense is the first real
breakthrough for a smartphone in years. It works
without an app or any real instructions, and the
learning curve is easy enough to be mastered in
seconds. Basically, you’re interacting with your
phone’s screen the way Tony Stark uses a virtual
screen to create the Iron Man suit: swipes and
waves rather than taps and pinches.
In a practical sense, however, Motion Sense on
the Pixel 4 XL is nowhere near superhero status.
Here’s what it can do:
