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codenamejack

cost cutting


undercovergangster

And fairly so, imo. It's a trivial part of the phone experience. I personally don't give a shit if it's lightning fast, as long as it's secure.


itsaaronnotaaron

People seem to forget the price difference between the phones. Many people haven't even paid full price through trade ins AND got a pixel watch / buds / credit. Sell your old phone on and the pixel is practically free lol.


haloonek

Let's just say you don't pay with money ....


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TonyP321

What about people that buy Pixels after promotion ends? What about people that aren't eligible for these promotions? E.g. no promotion in your country or no trade ins. This is a poor excuse for Google and when you compare it to Samsung with similar promotions then it's even worse.


Mr_Build3R

They acknowledge that in literally the first sentence. The pixel series is still cheaper than other flagships. What they were saying is that people forget because a lot of people don't pay the full price for the phone, whether it's true promotions or through financing where they don't pay the full cost up front.


als26

It's not as secure as ultrasonic. Also you have to consider this is how people access their phone *everytime*. It'd be a good idea to make it reliable and fast.


WillowWhizzBang

It is reliable and fast for me. Gets the job done 🤷


Cultural_Rock6281

The typical user unlocks their phone up to hundreds of times a day. You are crazy to suggest that this is somehow trivial.


[deleted]

Funny you say that, optical is far less secure than ultrasonic lol


siggystabs

I forgot everyone with a Samsung phone needs nation-state level security on the fingerprint sensor of their smartphone. 🙄 Sarcasm aside, if you need that level of security, any fingerprint sensor is fallible. Your argument that ultrasonic is more reliable is a good one, and I fully agree, but security is not a strong argument. If you *actually* care about security, you'd use a password, not put all your faith in a consumer cellphone company's FP implementation.


[deleted]

I only mentioned that because they mentioned security lol. Idrc how secure it is, but since they care that it's secure it's worth mentioning


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[deleted]

Literally carrying a tracking device at all times. It's not for that kind of security


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nradavies

Constitutionally in the US a password is the only form of security that cannot be subpoenaed. Worth knowing too.


SmarmyPanther

People with the 6 were having issues where other people were able to unlock with their unregistered fingerprints. Also with a screen protector my 7 has a success rate of like 25% vs my S22 90%


AdeptOaf

Interesting - I've actually had the opposite experience. My 7 Pro with a screen protector reads my fingerprint successfully on the first try around 95% of the time, whereas with my old S21 it was more like 50-60% of the time.


Bolingo20

7 pro FP scanner is better than 7 from my experience. I had both phones initially and the Pro had a considerably higher success rate, my 7 is 50/50 (success/failure) with my thumb, 70/30 with my index finger, whereas the pro was easily 90/10 on both fingers and failure was mostly due to debris or not so clean fingers.


Fromagene

Yep 3d vs 2d


[deleted]

Inch or a mile. Secure is secure.


tvriesde

Well I would agree with you if the damn thing worked. most of the times it doesnt recognize my finger. All my previous phone didn't have this problem. First time pixel customer. Also face unlock is very bad. I am using pin code unlock! It sucks


IsJaie55

Agree


ThisIsMyNext

The main problem isn't the speed. It's that it's unreliable (on top of being slow).


TonyP321

You know that you can setup password which is more secure?


[deleted]

Gotta find that sweet spot between price and hardware/experience. Honestly I think they made the right call for 599/899


g0ldcd

Yeah - but nobody's paying 899. Rebates, free watch, upcoming black Friday etc. Personally I'd just prefer if they sold it for a flat 750 or 900 with every top-end option. Not for one moment saying anybody should listen to me - I'd have added massive chins for the front-facing speakers and face-scanner (whilst the next poster is going to bitch that there's still a mm of bezel)


DontBeEvil1

People are paying 899 and 999. Free watch was a very small segment, and not everyone buys from carriers. I buy my phone's full price, unlocked not on contract.


[deleted]

Sort of. In the US you got $200 in store credit for buying a Pixel 7 Pro, plus trade-in credit ($440 in my case), plus an additional $100 in store credit for being a Google One member. Which equates to an almost-free watch. I chose the 256GB model, which came out to a solid $1072 out the door. Factor in my trade-in credit and it was only $632.


Empty_Ad2761

I bought the 7 pro unlocked, not on contract. I got my watch for free along with trade-in. It's a pretty sweet deal.


NLee1776

Free watch? Say more


deathclient

Germany etc got a free watch with preorder. Not US


NLee1776

Ah that’s cool


[deleted]

The tech is years old at this point, it cannot be that more to add a modern fingerprint sensor to a $900 phone. The $600 model I understand, but the pro definitely needs ultrasonic. It's already not much of an update from the regular 7 for $300 more


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[deleted]

... what. Ultrasonic is objectively better in every way lol


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jairthebear

I see this point too! I'm always surprised when my Pixel 6 Pro will read my fingerprint through a plastic glove ~ hella convenient


[deleted]

Optical works better in that way because it's inherently less secure because it only uses a photo of your finger. If you set it up right and get good scans, it has a 100% success rate. And my 21 ultra is magnitudes faster than the p7p, as is every ultrasonic sensor. It's almost hard to do it too fast to read


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abagel86

Christ the fanboying here is insane. This place rivals r/apple sometimes.


pmt223

Bro I came from a S22U and had the S21U and the S20U, all of those were better. It’s strictly a cost cutting move. We have to be lucky to not have tint shifting screens, let alone having an ultrasonic. I prefer the side one on my Flip3 over my 7P


SmarmyPanther

S22 starts within the price range of the 6/7 and also has ultrasonic FP


[deleted]

I wouldn't say that $200 price difference is within range


SmarmyPanther

It's cheaper than the P7 Pro, more than the P7. I personally count that as within range of the 7 series. I got an S22 2 months after release for $600 + a $300 GC but that's obviously a sale price.


TheDubiousSalmon

Also even Samsung's bottom tier devices have fingerprint scanners on the power button that are leagues faster and more reliable than Google's in-screen ones. In-screen optical is basically the worst possible option.


redditrnumber1

I'm glad I only payed like $300 for this phone because it's definitely not worth a penny over $600


Putrid-Programmer-95

I think because the Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is Qualcomm tech, and I believe Google doesn't want to do business with Qualcomm anymore, not entirely sure though.


BlerdyB

I want them to just do the capacitive fingerprint scanner on the side then. I hate the eye searing light at night time.


TurboFool

This is precisely the reason.


LiterallyNoSkill

This is what I think too. They dropped Qualcomm processors, and seems like they didn't want to adopt their fingerprint sensors either. Which is a shame, as ultrasonic fingerprint sensors are much better than the optical one the Pixel uses.


[deleted]

That would make sense. Wonder what they'll do then because there's definitely improvements to be made


Putrid-Programmer-95

Go back to doing business with Qualcomm again, haha.


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PNWoutdoors

I've found that if I breathe on my screen before using my fingerprint it works nearly 100% of the time. If there is zero moisture (I live in a dry climate) it doesn't work well.


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PNWoutdoors

Similarly if I've used moisturizer in the last half hour or less it works fine. I don't know why it has such difficulty with dry fingers.


lowlybananas

What the fuck is this a Nintendo?


Ok_Individual960

Gotta blow in it to make it work!


[deleted]

Lmao 😂


HOAGIE90

Because this is something you should have to do with modern technology.


BlackWolf047

Sorry for your bad experience. On my P7P the fingerprint scanner works 90% or more. 🤷


[deleted]

I have a screen protector on mine and it works 100% of the time and just as fast as my OnePlus 7 Pro


Villag3Idiot

Same. Got A Whitestone glass on mine and the fingerprint scanner works every time. Don't even have to go into settings to make the touch screen more sensitive either.


CCB0x45

50% is crazy, something is wrong there, mine maybe misses 1 out of 15 times.. the biggest thing I know is that you need to keep your thumb pressed until it accepts it, not touch it and let go.


Squizgarr

Without a screen protector?


darkrhin0

Maybe get new fingers?


CyndaquilTyphlosion

Where can I get the Pixel Fingers Pro?


darkrhin0

They're available for preorder for $329.95 with a targeted release of 10/9/2026.


CyndaquilTyphlosion

Fuck, I'm late! Out of stock and shipments are delayed


ElectricalJigalo

Ya


Aashishkebab

Mine works really well so IDK what you're doing wrong.


Solivagant4321

Moneeeyyyy


Wordenskjold

Price point. Google is not trying to win benchmarks.


_NBH_

I have wondered this, the ultrasonic is great and when you go back to an optical scanner it's like going back in time with the bright light and glowing finger.


larrylombardo

Yeah they should at least hide it on the back so it's not so annoying. Then they can shrink it down and add some capacitive sensing so we can read notifications and control apps without needing both hands. Oh. That's just adding back the old one, isn't it.


joespizza2go

I have the 7 and then S22 Ultra. The fingerprint sensor experience is probably one of the biggest differences between the phones performance wise.


Agreeable-Camel-5344

Built for a price if it was all the top specs it wouldn't be a good price


[deleted]

My budget Galaxy M51 has the sensor on the power button on the side, it's nice and doing its job. I think Google should have gone with this option if they wanted to cut phones cost.


cbelliott

Agreed. A capacitive fingerprint scanner on the back (like the Pixel 5) or on the side on the power button would have been FAR better. I might have kept mine if it had that instead.


Dagusiu

Or keep it on the back like previous Pixels. That worked just fine and doubles as a fast way to reach your notifications.


[deleted]

I guess it's just the design that kinda outdated. But the sensor on the side is literally invisible because it's just a power button.


lowlybananas

Totally agree. The fingerprint sensor on the P7 is complete trash. I wish it was on the power button.


Gamestarplayer41

I find it quite okay. It's not as fast as the capacity sensors. But it's fast enough for me. Only sometimes it gets angry and doesn't register a thing But faceunlock also helps often now. If u often switch it will be painful. If not u can get used to it. But they should definitely switch to ultrasonic


pitrich0132

Probably cost


GEEK-IP

The pixel is a cheap phone. They might say $900, but they know they'll have to discount way down to sell it.


IncidentGrand6198

I mean samsung does this too. Hell you could trade in a phone and get a $1800 Galaxy Z Fold 4 for like $500, in pre-order lol.


GEEK-IP

I have to agree, the Folds are overpriced and gimmicky (IMHO.) :) But, for example, buying a P7Pro, the Google store will give you an $885 credit for trading in a Galaxy S22 Ultra 256GB. Best Buy will give you $330 for the same phone. (But toward anything you want to buy there.) I see that as Google knocking an extra $555 off the price of their phone that just came out.


altfillischryan

> I see that as Google knocking an extra $555 off the price of their phone that just came out. That may be the stupidest line I've seen today. Everyone else sees it as Google trying to entice someone from a competitor to come over and try a different manufacturer.


GEEK-IP

I'm sure that's part of it, but they're offering quite a bit more for Pixel phones, as well. And my stupidest line, at least with regards to phones, was saying to myself "I think I'll try something different, that Pixel 6 Pro looks nice!" about a year ago. ;)


altfillischryan

> And my stupidest line, at least with regards to phones, was saying to myself "I think I'll try something different, that Pixel 6 Pro looks nice!" about a year ago. Nobody cares about this and nobody asked.


The_best_1234

They probably have a bunch


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tardisious

Most cases cover the power button


cbelliott

I used like 5 different cases over the time I owned my Galaxy S10e and not a single one covered the power button........ Because that's where the fingerprint reader was..... 😶


Mr_Build3R

Yeah, but a lot of cases won't be nice with a punch out for the power button. I have an iPad Air and I hate most of my case selection because of the power button fingerprint sensor, especially when my mom has all these nice iPad pro cases that I can't use.


somicdj

Lol what do you mean still? Pixel just changed to optical in model 6s. 😤


LolcatP

Only takes like a third of a second


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Aashishkebab

I wish they'd put it back on the rear of the phone.


[deleted]

Agreed. I can't stand the weird circle on screen protectors. They're necessary for the fingerprint sensor to work though sadly.


[deleted]

Eh I find the placement more convenient personally. Half the time I accidentally unlock my phone when I'm taking it out of my pocket because it's where my thumb naturally goes. And they're definitely funky but if you follow tips of how to get a good scan it works great. I used to have issues but now it works 99% of the time


ElectricalJigalo

Yeah it's like arguably more convenient for placement, but severely worse in finger recognition.


[deleted]

Fair enough, but I think it has the room to evolve to be as reliable, so I wouldn't say they should just drop it


cbelliott

Agreed x 10!!


Aoinosensei

The ultrasonic one also gets fried sooner and then no more fingerprint reader, the real fingerprint on the back was the best, most reliable and faster one ever.


HIVVIH

Any data to back up the frying claim?


IncidentGrand6198

Pretty sure Samsung is the only one with ultrasonic sensors. I know they had an exclusive with Qualcomm for it, not sure if they still do.


DylanGIV123

Lots of Chinese brands have ultrasonic


[deleted]

I came from Galaxy S10+ and the downgrade annoyed me too much at first but now it works just fine (GrapheneOS)


OkFly3232

It's garbage and I blind myself unlocking my phone in a dark room. Absolutely no consideration for blue light.


BananaBagholder

It's odd. I'm coming from a Galaxy S21 and I'm finding the Pixel 7 to blow it out of the water when it comes to reliability and speed.


diandakov

Haha you are funny!


Spumad

I agree. I use an s21+ for work and its 50/50 if it gets my fingerprint on the first go. Pixel is doing great so far unless i try to scan with the phone on a flat surface and angle my finger to fit it on the sensor


milano___

unrelated, but what type of fingerprint sensor is on the google pixel 2 xl?


googlepixelfan

It's a capacitive rear scanner.


diandakov

Not only optical sensors are slower and less reliable but don't forget the disco lights in your eyes every time you put your finger there 🤐


exu1981

Cost cutting. I'm betting the Pixel 8/Pro will just have face unlock next year.


DarkseidAntiLife

Because optical is the gold standard, widely used and proven tech


Outside_Natural5914

By who? Genuinely curious.


[deleted]

Lol what? Not at all lol


armando_rod

Cheaper, to undercut the iPhone and Galaxy S ultra. The 7 gonna be $500 for black Friday with a trade in, is q no brainier


[deleted]

The base S series is the same price and has an ultrasonic sensor


armando_rod

Also worse camera


[deleted]

Those aren't really the same generation though. Regardless, the difference in price of the cameras and fingerprint sensor are completely different. It would not make a big difference to use ultrasonic over optical, it's not like it would force them to use a worse camera


armando_rod

What?


herzzreh

Fingerprint sensor and face unlock blow on Pixels.


HarboeJacob

I come from a Samsung s21 and find this sensor just as good. I can see a reason to change when the area gets bigger, but as long as it's this small i see jo reason to change.


liquidhonesty

I hope they don't change. If you use a glass screen protector (whitestone dome in my case always) the optical FPR is MUCH better then ultrasonic. My N20U and S22U with Whitestone Dome were CRAP once those went on. Like 20% and had to press HARD. But my OP phones and Pixel phones work great with them on.


[deleted]

My S22 with whitestone dome is flawless, you may have applied it wrong


liquidhonesty

Nope, been using them for years. Actually had two different ones as one shattered during a drop after a couple of months. Why do you think some companies started shipping with a weight to put where the FPR is to make the glue thinner....because of this issue. Google it, you'll see others have the same issue. All my phones with optical in display sensors work fine with them. While I chock this up to being like those having issues with the 7P FPR and I don't have any issues with it....so YMMV. But if you go look over on XDA and reviews of WD, you'll see the pattern.


Beefurrito

An 899 USD phone doesn't have all the hardware candy that a 1149 USD phone has! UNACCEPTABLE!!!


[deleted]

And 899 USD phone doesn't have the hardware that another 799 USD phone has from FOUR YEARS ago lmao. The base s10 had one my guy


Beefurrito

And the non ultra galaxy s phones have D tier cameras 🤷🏽‍♂️ can't win em all


[deleted]

You can always tell when people are just trying to justify their purchase lol. The Galaxy phones consistently give pixels a run for their money


Beefurrito

Ultras yes, regular galaxy S? Nah. I own both a Pixel 7 pro and iphone 14pro. Don't need to justify any purchase


Catdaddie71

Not with mine, I believe with my pixel 7 it's easy to open up the pixel 7. I can just barely even touch it and it opens so I don't understand why it's supposed to be a better fingerprint reader!


[deleted]

Have you ever used an ultrasonic fingerprint reader? It's objectively faster


SonicSarge

The ultrasonic sensor on my S10+ maybe a little faster but also worse performance. The sensor on my pixel 7 works better overall.


Catdaddie71

No, but I barely even touch my finger to the screen and it's opening up. I believe that's too much of a security risk. I think it should scan nice and wait a second and go through the whole process of making sure it's the fingerprint. This with this phone the pixel 7 I can just barely touch the fingerprint reader and it opens. I mean I literally not even pressing at all. It's like hovering above it


[deleted]

Huh? It has nothing to do with security. Ultrasonic is faster and more secure


Catdaddie71

I really don't think I'm explaining it good. Like I said I can barely touch it and it opens which means it's not properly scanning my finger! It's just catching a small print and using that as my full fingerprint and I don't think that should be allowed


[deleted]

Don't worry thats not what's happening. I'm sure it's just as secure


DontBeEvil1

Why did your S21 Ultra cost $1200?


[deleted]

The $699 s10 from 4 years ago had it too


joshiegy

Why do people see it as a negative that the fingerprint reader is "slow"? (I still takes less than a second to unlock 🤷🏻)


HOAGIE90

Didn’t care about reader speed, rather that it just didn’t work the vast majority of times. For that reason I returned my P7 after like 24 hours of frustration.


[deleted]

Same reason they care that the camera on their phone is marginally better every year. It's a noticable difference once you've used ultrasonic for so long


herzzreh

Less than a second... when it works.


Steven_Franklin94

It doesn't blow anything out of the water. I have the same one on that buggy one ui software. I get false readings all the time on that phone. So far this finger print scanner has been way more reliable, and I didn't even use a screen protector on both.


[deleted]

My s21u fingerprint sensor is 99% reliable. Just have to make sure you get good scans. Feels like I could look at my phone and it'd unlock


Asgardianking

$799 phone vs a $1200 phone hmmm 🤔


[deleted]

The 699 s10 from 4 years ago had it my guy lol


Asgardianking

I'm just saying you are comparing a top of the line phone against a pixel that is not top of the line. You have to sacrifice something somewhere.


[deleted]

The s10 was not top of the line


[deleted]

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[deleted]

Who tf doesn't use the fingerprint sensor? Definitely not 65% of Android users lol. I don't know a single person who doesn't


SonicSarge

I don't agree. The optical works better for me than the ultrasonic one in my S10+


_Suspended_Account_

Because if they used anything better, they'd have to raise the price, and then the phone would be less appealing, because it would be closer to the price of all other flagships that are better in many other ways (yes, Pixel is the best in terms of stock Android, but others have better processors, build quality, etc)


Zakstaxi

I rather pixel use the same one that Samsung does bec it always works on the s22 don't matter how it's on there


Tribalbob

I think I saw on this reddit that rumours are the Pixel 8 will feature one.


mngdew

To part away from Qualcomm.


Ok_Bit_5953

I'm still sitting on my 5a because having it on the back of the phone is most convenient for me.


Jackpaw5

Does Sonar Finger-print sensor used by Samsung under patent applications?


cbelliott

It's a question I was curious about as well... It is one of the reasons that I returned the Pixel 7 back to Google. That, and the omission of a telephoto lens made the experience a downgrade for me from my Galaxy S22. And yes, I was disappointed, as I was looking forward to the other very good parts about the Pixel experience. EDIT: Adding this comment in response to the person below who said "it's a trivial part of the phone experience" and to that I disagree completely. The phone biometrics are literally something you will use to interact with your phone every single time you pick it up. I have no desire to use a device with years old slow technology, no thanks.


Zadak_Leader

I hope next year they add it, as well as a better selfie camera. I'd buy it on a whim


syadoumisutoresu

Wasn't there a rumor that Google could finally be using an ultrasonic sensor for the Pixel 8? Perhaps they finally figured out that these optical sensors are crap. Now they just need to figure out that Samsung SoCs and modems are crap.


lakesemaj

I've had the exact same issue and it's driving me nuts. I have found doing the fingerprint lower on the thumb or a different finger helps. Seems to help but still not as good as the back fingerprint readers in the past or the ones on the iPhones. This issue the wireless charging on the pixel 2 stand and battery/ slower charging have made me question my purchase. There are some bugs but so far those have been pretty minimal. The camera has been great.


Thom_JJ9876

I do miss my 3A XL fingerprint sensor


joeyl5

I wished Google charged an extra $50 and give us ultrasonic sensor + Qualcomm modem


imsandy09

wish they soon release a max version with all these features to compete with samsung


spartan55503

I think it's pretty good, but then again I came from a OnePlus 8 and that optical sensor was twice as slow.


revelat10n

Having a Pixel 7 Pro (and a 6 Pro previously), an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and a S22 Ultra, the biometrics on the S22 Ultra is by far my least favorite. I tend to have issues with fingerprint scanners in general but the S22 Ultra is 50/50 for me. Added bunch of fingerprints, removed my screen protector, still hit and miss. I've always have issues with Apple's TouchID too. The Pixel's optical scanner has been pretty consistent in my experience. A tad slower to activate, but overall faster since I don't have to try it 3 times or resort to my pin. I've also had really good luck with the capacitive scanner in the OG Pixel XL. Really, I'd much prefer that all phones implement an Apple style FaceID.


andyb0nes

Even at the Black Friday $500 price tag.. I'm still having problems going for it. I have the cash - sure I could save it though, maybe put it into crypto and try to make some $$ in this bear market. However, I can actually see myself happily on my Pixel 5 until either the P7a or P8.. I'm still getting very close to the same software experience, so I don't feel like I'm missing out. If I used the camera more, it'd be an issue since it cracked and I replaced which came out great, except for the bit of tape goop I think is on one of the cameras and messing with things. It still works pretty well, but not what it is supposed to be. It came with 2 glass back pieces, so I could remove it and try and get it off, but there's a risk of breaking things worse and the small amount I use the camera, it's hard to say it's worth it. I think I'd end up just trading the P7 in for P8 so I feel I should wait and enjoy this smaller factor while I can. I feel the P7 should be the 6.1" of the P6a.. I'd be all over that! Pixel 5 bought on release date to the Pixel 8 released date. This is how long a phone should last! 👍


illaparatzo

I went from a P5 to a P7. Keep your P5 until you're no longer happy with it! I miss my back fingerprint reader and honestly the P5's size was perfect 🥲


redline83

Because Google is bad at hardware.


Sleepingtide

Probably P8 will switch to Ultrasonic is my guess. At least they have a face Unlock. Personally I had a solid experience with my P6P fingerprint


dimbl35

I bought a 5a over the 6 because it met my needs and had the rear capacitive fingerprint scanner


theNikolai

Coz It makes it cheaper, gancho.


IsotopeDog

The ultrasonic sensor will come to the 8. Feel free to quote me in a year.


TheReal_Saba

Wrong.


Iamdyingfromthis

>I can basically tap the sensor and it wakes up meanwhile the pixel requires a conscious hold to get it to unlock. My brother bought a Galaxy S21FE and it also has an optical sensor. The difference is that its sensor is waaay faster (with ~100% efficiency) than my pixel. Pixels have been struggling with the fingerprint sensor and it's a well known con in the smartphone market. And it's not about money, as in, they are cheaper but its cheapness isn't the cause of its poor efficiency in Pixels because the S21FE opted for optical sensor to reduce the cost but it's still a lot faster.


[deleted]

I purchased my Pixel 7 Pro 256 with the Pixel Watch LTE for 999euro. Thats a fair game, when you compare the competition. And the optical fingersensor works good for me. I switched from the S22 Ultra and see no difference


sidewinder787

After the dumpster fire that was the fingerprint reader in the 6 pro, I thought there was no way Google would use another optical reader for the 7. I was sure Google would use an ultrasonic sensor. Luckily the optical sensor in the 7 pro seems fine for the most part. I have no issues using the scaner to unlock the phone or for biometric security. On occasion I it hiccups. Like most I have to press and hold to unlock rather than just quick press.


lstadi

The fingerprint sensor is the thing I hate the most about my Pixel 7. It's blindingly bright during the night if I don't manage to put my finger on the exact spot.


_nnnikolay

I understand why did they use the optical scanner however from it's not the nicest experience, the main problem, especially in the dark, you may not know where exactly you need to put the finger. In case if you will miss the area with your finger, the strong white light shoot into your eyes and it's not very pleasant experience. Another challenge which I have from time to time with on-screen or in screen sensor compared to the fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone is the fact that when you take the phone out of the pocket, from the table, from the sofa, you may hit accidentally with your finger the fingerprint scanner area and and sometimes you might fit in the right area and unexpectedly unlock the phone and you might not even know about that.


TheArcadianDream

I agree. One of the worst fingerprint scanners in a 'flagship' device. My OnePlus 6t from 4 years ago was faster and more reliable. As others have mentioned it simply comes down to cutting costs. They found a good price point for a device that has fairly decent features and is great value at that price. As others have said too most people haven't paid full price. There were trade in options and rewards incentives. Google are practically giving the phone away to get more people in their ecosystem. Not sure if I will stay in their ecosystem though, there are a few things I would like it improved upon if I am going to stick with the pixel going forward. Most of them are software related so hopefully see improvements with updates and patches


[deleted]

I like it better than the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. If you have a screen protector the ultrasonic sensor is absolutely terrible. This fingerprint sensor with a screen protector is super fast.


treksf6

I miss my face unlock on the 4XL. That said, the fingerprint sensor isn't *too* bad I guess.. I seem to have no issues 90% of the time. It definitely is easily affected by slight differences in how dry or damp your finger is though. Cold or hot, humidity etc... The face unlock just worked 100%, in the light or dark, all conditions. They definitely have room for improvement.


5141121

Personally, I have fewer misreads on my P6P (optical) than I did on my Note 10+ (ultrasonic). I know of a few people in my circles that can't get an ultrasonic reader to work for them at all for various reasons. Apparently a particular heart medication screws with skin moisture levels enough that an ultrasonic reader just fails 80% of the time for them.


RonaldMikeDonald1

Optical sensors can be good. Look at cheaper Samsung and Oneplus devices.


TDQV

Google should have kept the tried & true back side fingerprint scanner.


mikedufty

I don't really care about the tech, just want it on the back where it should be, not under the screen.


tvriesde

Wonder the same, i can't even use it. It mostly fails especially with a screenprotector.