Google is currently "evaluating" whether to carry over a little feature accessed through the fingerprint scanner that's possible with the Google Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, but not in the company's previous flagships, the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P.
Google reasons out that the issue involves firmware and not hardware, since the Nexus 5X and 6P runs on old firmware, one that doesn't support fingerprint gestures.
The feature allows owners of the Pixel and the Pixel XL to swipe the fingerprint scanner to bring up the notification panel. This minor but useful gesture was not brought over to the Nexus 5X and 6P, despite the two phones supporting the latest Android 7.1 Nougat update.
Apart from this feature, Google isn't bringing over the Pixel and Pixel XL's "night light" feature to the two Nexus smartphones, as reported by Android Police. Night light, for the uninitiated, is a feature that tints the screen red to reduce the blue light, which research has proven to deter healthy sleeping patterns.
Many Nexus 5X and 6P owners have been increasingly vexed at Google's decision to purposefully withhold several features present in the Pixel and Pixel XL from the two Nexus smartphones. The Nexus brand has always been proper indication of the best Android experience on a smartphone, and that synonym has greatly been tainted now with Google's focus more directed at its self-branded flagships.
Google seems intent in convincing many users to switch to its smartphones, releasing a bevy of "Phone by Google" videos as part of its marketing campaign. The company has also uploaded a brief instructional video for those who want to shift from an iPhone to a Pixel handset, signaling that the company wants to corner the smartphone market considerably.
The Pixel handsets have greatly taken the spotlight, requiring the bulk of Google's attention, to the detriment of previous flagships like the Nexus 5X and 6P, both of which have been largely left in the back burner, though Google was at least generous enough to give the two its Nougat treatment.
While the fingerprint gesture may potentially head to the 5X and 6P, keep in mind that Google has already pulled both devices from its store to make room for the Pixel and Pixel XL, so expect the company's support for older handsets to eventually wane.
To recall, the Pixel and the Pixel XL rock a 5-inch Full HD and 5.5-inch Quad HD display, respectively. Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with the Adreno 530 for graphics. It comes with 4 GB of RAM and up to 128 GB of storage. Both have 12.3-megapixel cameras, which Google claims as being "best camera on a smartphone," duly backed up by The Verge's Vlad Savov, gushing about the phone's excellent shooter.
Google Pixel starts at $649 and is available at Google's online store.
