The biggest limitation of Google’s camera-based face unlock is that it doesn’t work in the dark or other low-light conditions, and the Pixel 11 with Tensor G6 might address that with a dedicated system.
According to Android Authority, the Tensor G6’s image signal processor (ISP) might support an under-display IR (infrared) camera system. It will be specially designed to be power-efficient. There’s nothing definitive today saying that this will be used for face unlock, but that’s the most obvious use case.
Face unlock on the Pixel 4 leveraged a dot projector, flood illuminator, and two IR cameras. As such, it could recognize you even in all lighting conditions.
The Pixel 7 introduced a purely camera-based approach, with the Pixel 8+ upgrading the system (Class 3) so that it could be used for Google Wallet/Pay transactions, banking, and other app sign-ins. These front-facing cameras support dual-pixel autofocus (DPAF) that can generate a depth map, while Google also credits machine learning algorithms that run on Tensor.
It works quite well when there’s plenty of light, but does not always work in darker conditions. (I remain surprised at how fast the initial set-up process is.) As such, the fingerprint sensor still has to be used for the other half of your day.
Meanwhile, the fact that this is an under-display system bodes well for Google not introducing a tall chin that would look decidedly ancient in 2026. (In fairness to the Pixel 4, that area also had to house the Soli radar chip.) That said, the future camera cutout might still have to expand into a pill.
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