Last Updated: October 06, 2023, 15:37 IST
Face unlock is available for payments on the Pixel 8 series
The Pixel 8 phones have been equipped with new machine learning and Titan M2 chip for better security of face unlock
Google Pixel 8 brings a host of new features this year but it was interesting to hear the company talk about Face Unlock now being able to process payments. Having the option to use biometric tech on the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro to make payments is intriguing in many ways.
The company doesn’t use hardware like Face ID on iPhones to secure the feature, which brings us to the main question, is the new payments feature on the Pixel 8 as safe as the iPhone 14 or 15?
Google explained that it is using machine learning and relying on the security prowess of the Titan M2 chip which does sound like a robust package but cannot really compare it with the use of actual infrared sensors, something that you get with iPhone’s Face ID.
“And now, Face Unlock on Pixel 8 meets the highest Android biometric class, allowing you to access compatible banking and payment apps like Google Wallet,” as highlighted by Google in its product page. Using words like highest Android biometric class does make you wonder if the company has even tried to operate the security feature in a platform agnostic world, which includes the iPhones as well.
The other concern is that because the Pixel 8 doesn’t have sensors to process the biometrics, chances are you might face difficulty in using the feature in low-light. But unlike the iPhones, Google does have a multi biometrics feature on the Pixels which should act as a reliable substitute in such cases. Even though the new biometric features for banking apps are baked into the AI tech from Google, it is unlikely that we will see the Pixel 6 or the Pixel 7 series phones getting these features anytime soon. Either way, we’re eager to see if the new-look Face Unlock on the Pixel 8 is able to deliver payments in a secure fashion.
The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro feature a new Actua display that offers a 120Hz and adaptive 120Hz refresh rate screen this year, respectively. The Pixel 8 is priced at Rs 75,999 for the base variant, while the lone Pixel 8 Pro model comes for Rs 1,06,999.
