The reason Google's Nexus 6 is missing a fingerprint verification scanner is all due to Apple and its very astute acquisition strategy.
To ensure there would be no equal to its Touch ID technology, at least for the foreseeable future, Apple purchased the Nexus 6's would-be supplier of fingerprint scanning technology, AuthenTech, in 2012 and the purchase included the fingerprint tech patent.
The dimple on the back on the Nexus 6 is where the device's engineers planned to install an AuthenTech fingerprint sensor, according to revelations from former Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside.
While Motorola, the manufacturer of Google's 6-inch Nexus handset, had some other tech options, it opted not to employ fingerprint-scanning technology as it felt less-than-stellar biometrics could end up being a big differentiator between the two smartphones.
Woodside says the next-best supplier was not quite on par with AuthenTech and that not having a scanner isn't a product killer.
Apple's had biometrics on its smartphone strategy plan dating back to the iPhone 5, which included Touch ID, yet Apple had no mobile payments platform to leverage the biometric tech capability.
It wasn't until last September that Apple's mobile pay plan hit the news and took off, with retailers and banks lining up since its launch. Apple Pay is now accepted (subscription required) at more than 220,000 locations, while providers handling 90 percent of credit card spending have adopted Apple Pay and Bank of America signed up approximately 800,000 new consumers to the platform in the fourth quarter.
