Mystery Pixel G10 handset surfaces (Update: Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor for Pixel 8 Pro?)

UPDATE:While we mentioned in our story that this prototype had a Qualcomm under-display fingerprint sensor, we failed to mention that it is an ultrasonic sensor similar to the one employed on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. An ultrasonic sensor is not only faster, it is more accurate. It also will be more costly for Google to source which means we could see a price hike for the Pixel 8 Pro. On the other hand, there could be a huge improvement in the fingerprint sensor.

Currently, the Pixel 6 and 7 lines use an optical fingerprint sensor.
Amid rumors that Google will release a foldable Pixel, a mini-Pixel, or even a super premium Pixel Ultra (or any combination thereof), 91mobiles spotted a new Pixel model codenamed the G10. The phone features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 1440 x 3120 resolution, a height of 155mm, and a width of 71mm. Those figures match exactly the panel used on the Pixel 7 Pro.
While Samsung is the company that Google uses to deliver the screens for the Pixel 7 Pro, the Pixel G10 shows that it will sport screens made by China’s BOE. This is the company that tried to pull the wool over Apple’s eyes by unilaterally changing the specs of its iPhone 13 panels “to make the panel thin film transistor (TFT) circuit width slightly wider.” This made the displays easier to manufacture increasing BOE’s yields in an attempt to impress Apple.
But Apple caught on to the scam rather quickly and reduced BOE’s contribution to the iPhone 13 line markedly. Still, Apple did use BOE to supply it with panels for the basic iPhone 14 model. And similar to the Pixel 7 series, Qualcomm’s under-display fingerprint sensor will be used on the G10.

Based on what we know about this mystery model, it is not the Pixel Fold (or Notepad), and based on the 6.7-inch screen size we can also cross the Pixel mini off the list. For the same reasons, the G10 is not the Pixel 7a. 91mobiles says that it could be an early prototype related to 2023’s Pixel 8 Pro.

This doesn’t mean that the Pixel Notepad or the Pixel Ultra are not in the works. Less than two weeks ago, tipster Digital Chat Station posted on his Weibo account (Weibo is a social-media site based in China) that contract manufacturer Foxconn is in the process of building a foldable Pixel and a Pixel Ultra. The latter is rumored to include a 2K display with a ceramic body, and could be equipped with a 50MP image sensor (Samsung’s ISOCELL GN1) for the telephoto camera.

The foldable Pixel appeared in a hidden icon found in version 8.6 of the Google Camera app. The icon uses an arrow to indicate how the device would close. The internal screen could weigh in at 7.6-inches matching the size of the tablet-sized display on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

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