Google Pixel 6 set for face unlock and in-display fingerprint sensor

It looks like the Google Pixel 6 is in for some hardware upgrades that will bolster security on the device, if the Android 12 beta is anything to go by. The Developer Preview 1 is jam-packed full of features that may or may not roll out in the next software update, and the code has given up a few secrets of its own.

If you want to get a rundown of the highlights of the beta, you can check out the top 10 things we're looking to from Android 12, but buried amidst the goodies is a hint that we may see the Google Pixel 6 sporting face unlock tech and an under-display fingerprint scanner.

XDA Developers' Mishaal Rahman has been trawling through the Android 12 beta and reports that the settings app's code shows support for devices with face unlock and fingerprint scanners. While he adds the caveat that we shouldn't jump to too many conclusions right away, adding native support for in-display fingerprint scanners now could hint that Google's next smartphone will launch with one or both of these features.     

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We've not heard much about the Pixel 6, but after the Pixel 5 ditched Motion Gestures thanks to the absence of the Project Soli chip, Google talked candidly about its efforts to shrink down the chip, and with a bit of refining, it might just be worth stuffing it back into a phone again to serve as something other than a bit of a novelty.    

Last year's Google Pixel 5 switched up the annual formula somewhat, breaking away from the traditional high-end flagship and its XL version, like we saw with the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. What we got was an upper-to-mid-ranger at a more affordable price than the Pixel 4 lineup, but it was barely an upgrade by comparison.

We could see the Google Pixel 6 up the ante, offering a premium flagship once again that's packed full of hardware upgrades, but expect an inflated price tag to go along with all of those bells and whistles.