Google Pixel 4 Official Image Released Months Ahead of Formal Launch; Gesture Controls, Apple's True Tone-Like Display Experience Speculated

Google Pixel 4, the flagship phone by the Android maker that isn't likely to debut until October, has been officially revealed. Google has tweeted an image of the Pixel 4 to confirm the design of the new phone months before its formal launch. The phone featured in the image interestingly matches what we saw from the renders that emerged on the Web recently. Notably, the Pixel 4 appears to have a design distinguished from the previous Google phones that had a glass back with a two-tone finish. Other leaks have also suggested gesture controls and Apple's True Tone-like display experience on the Pixel 4.

The official Google Pixel 4 image shows a square camera bump at the back that houses two traditional sensors and an LED flash. There is also a third sensor at the top of the dual camera setup that could be used for portraits or wide-angle shots. Further, the image shows a minimal dot at the lower right of the camera module. This is likely to be a noise-cancelling microphone.

It is significant to note that the Pixel 4 will be the first phone in the Pixel family to sport more than one camera sensor. All the previous Pixel handsets had a single rear camera, though they offered a superior photography experience altogether.

The image also shows a white or grey power button at the side of the Pixel 4. Further, there is the company's G logo and the absence of a rear fingerprint sensor. The latter suggests that the phone could sport an in-display fingerprint sensor or an advanced facial recognition feature. Moreover, the overall design of the Pixel 4 that has been flaunted in the official image looks quite similar to the leak-based renders that surfaced online just earlier this week.

"Well, since there seems to be some interest, here you go! Wait 'til you see what it can do," the company tweeted through the official Made by Google account on Thursday.

With the release of the official image, Google has certainly put a large number of Pixel 4 speculations and early leaks to rest. The company at its I/O 2019 keynote last month also revealed that the new Pixel phone will come with a next-generation Google Assistant integration. The new model is claimed to bring faster responses by running locally on the hardware over the existing Google Assistant version that sends commands to a remote server over the Internet.

Last year, a list of leaks and rumours revealing the Pixel 3 hit the Web world ahead of its official launch. Various renders, hands-on videos, and screenshots were posted online to extensively reveal the Pixel phone. Similar was the case with the Pixel 3a that was initially rumoured as the Pixel 3 Lite.

Google is likely to retain its two-phone lineup this year as well and bring not just the regular Pixel 4 but also the Pixel 4 XL. Both phones are speculated to be based on Project Soli that was originally unveiled in June 2015 to bring radar-based gesture recognition. XDA Developers reports that Android Q includes references to hint at an "Aware" sensor. This could be the commercial face of Project Soli and enable gesture controls on the new Pixel phone.

The presence of the Aware sensor on the Pixel 4 is speculated to bring a hands-free experience. The first Android Q Beta build has suggested "Skip" and Silence" media gestures. However, some other gesture controls could also be available on the device.

Notably, Project Soli was initially aimed at wearables, though an FCC approval earlier this year suggested that Google could finally bring its in-house technology to new Pixel phones.

In the past, Samsung offered Air View and Air Gesture on its flagships to provide a bit of hands-free experience using the built-in camera. LG at MWC 2019 in February also brought the G8 ThinQ with an 'Air Motion' experience that uses a Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor to enable gesture controls. Having said that, Google's aim is apparently different from the earlier approaches as it would enable gesture controlling through a dedicated integration.

In a separate development, folks at XDA Developers claim to have found that the Pixel 4 would come with an Apple's True Tone display-like technology. The code of Android Q has hinted at a "Display white balance" setting that could bring the adaptive display experience to the new Pixel phone.

We certainly need to wait for some time to see what Google has to offer through the Pixel 4. Nevertheless, the arrival of the official image shows a glimpse of the new handset that could take on the 2019 iPhone flagship and next-generation Samsung Galaxy S-series models.