“As for the fingerprint sensor, it seems clear enough from Google’s own images that there isn’t going to be one on the Pixel 4’s rear.”

Google’s next flagship smartphone is going to feature a big square bump for cameras and potentially other sensors on its rear, and appears to be doing away with rear-mounted fingerprint sensors.

The news comes by way of a combination of leaks and an official Tweet from Google’s Pixel team, which revealed images of the backside of the forthcoming Pixel 4. The images do indeed depict a large bump on the rear of the device, a la the multi-camera system of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, though Google hasn’t offered any details on what kinds of sensors the bump is going to house. Smartphone leakers say it’s going to feature at least two cameras as well as a ‘spectral sensor’ that could mitigate the effects of flickering light.

As for the fingerprint sensor, it seems clear enough from Google’s own images that there isn’t going to be one on the Pixel 4’s rear. This would mark the first time that the Pixel line has moved away from rear-mounted fingerprint sensors, but it doesn’t mean that the device won’t support fingerprint scanning at all: In-display fingerprint sensors have emerged as a popular new trend in recent smartphones from Google’s rivals, and it’s worth noting that the sensor supplier for the latest Pixel smartphones, Fingerprint Cards, does offer this kind of technology.

Then again, it’s possible that Google will follow Apple’s lead and pivot entirely to face biometrics for user authentication. At least one prominent smartphone leaker says that the Pixel 4 will feature a ‘forehead bezel’ (instead of a notch) that could house sophisticated imaging technology for facial recognition, but this seems more in the area of speculation given that Google hasn’t offered any clues about the front of its forthcoming device.

Time will tell. The Pixel 4 is currently slated for release this coming October.

Sources: Mashable, The Verge