The first Android 12 Developer Preview hinted that Google’s upcoming Pixel devices might support two unlocking methods: Face unlock and fingerprint sensors. Current Pixel models either have a fingerprint sensor or come with 3D face unlock, but not both. Google did use its own Face ID alternative for the Pixel 4, but reverted to fingerprint scanning last year. The Pixel 5 is a mid-range phone that features a better design now that 3D face unlock and radar components have been removed from the top, but the handset also offers a design regression that we were surprised to see on a phone in 2020: A rear-facing fingerprint sensor.
