Google Pixel 5 Vs. Apple iPhone 12 Is 2020’s Biggest Unlikely Battle

Detail of the 16-megapixel telephoto rear cameras on a Google Pixel 4 smartphone, taken on November … [+] 4, 2019. (Photo by Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

Future Publishing via Getty Images

In March 2018 Reuters published a story explaining that Apple’s Face ID technology was two years ahead of its Android rivals. 

Citing “major parts producers” the story detailed how Apple had stolen a march on the competition with genuinely secure biometric facial recognition technology in the iPhone X. Android manufacturers however were struggling to source key components (specifically vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers) to build their own versions of Face ID. 

Indeed, two years after the iPhone X landed, Google’s Pixel 4 was released with its own Face Unlock feature, which was powered in part by its proprietary Soli radar technology. One year later, it looks like Google will ditch that huge technological leap in the face of new a economic reality. 

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A few reports in the last year have pointed to a more budget-focused Pixel 5, which will house an upper mid-range Snapdragon 765 chip instead of the Qualcomm’s latest 865. But recent images appear to show the Pixel 5 with a finger-print reader on the back, rather than a notch in the display that houses the sensors for Face Unlock. 

If accurate, this is a serious move for Google. It’s removing a next generation feature, which has a lot of future uses outside of unlocking phones, to bring the cost of its flagship down. This was likely a decision taken long before Covid-19 hit, and I’m sure the runaway success of its Pixel 3a helped refocus minds on what is important. But the loss of next generation technology shows how dramatically different Google’s plans are from just a year ago. 

As much as I enjoy using Face Unlock on the Pixel 4, I can see why it is a luxury that’s worthy of the cost-cutting axe. Especially in a Covid-ravaged economy. It’s not just Face Unlock that’s going, either. There may be a “plastic back” instead of the glass and aluminium chassis in the Pixel 4 and a 90Hz screen, rather than the 120Hz displays we’re seeing on other high-end phones like Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. 

It looks like the company is scaling back features to bring the price down and repeat the kind of success it had with the Pixel 3a for its flagship range. The search company is returning to its Nexus roots. 

Apple could be following a similar path with its rumoured 5.4-inch iPhone 12. The entry level iPhone is rumoured to cost $649 – $50 cheaper than last year’s iPhone 11. It’s clearly priced as a budget 5G model to compete with Google’s Pixel 4a 5G and similar phones like the OnePlus Nord, which makes me question what exactly you’ll get for that price. 

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The leaks don’t point toward any major features that will be axed, aside from not including LiDAR and a high-refresh rate screen – both of which will likely be saved for the more expensive models. The weight the iPhone 12 will be shedding is a free pair of earbuds and charger.

Indeed, it looks like the iPhone will house some decent specs for that price, including Apple’s latest A14 processor, 5G and two cameras. The display leaks reveal that there is a notch in the upcoming iPhone, not an all-screen display, so we can expect Face ID on the budget device.

Although, a repair specialist explained to me a few months ago how expensive and difficult it is for Apple and third parties to repair broken dot projectors and proximity sensors, with Apple frequently opting to replace entire handsets instead. Both sensors are easily damaged because the earpiece lets in tiny amounts of liquid, the repair specialist claimed. So if Apple wanted to cut costs and bring prices down, Face ID would be a good place to start. 

Google has already revealed that the Pixel 4a 5G will “start at $499”, which means the Pixel 5 will be more expensive. How much more expensive will be key, because it looks like Apple’s iPhone 12 will include high-end features at the oddly low price of $649. This is bad news for, well, all of the competition. It’s also new territory for Apple. 

We’ve already seen manufacturers react to the pricing strategies of rivals, with Google’s Pixel 4a dropping from an initial cost of $399 to $349. I suspect we’ll see more back and forth price cuts, deals and freebies when both Google and Apple launch their phones in the next two months. 

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