Google’s next Pixel phone might miss out on one of its most anticipated upgrades.
According to a fresh leak, the Pixel 11 series won’t ship with Google’s next-gen face unlock hardware. Earlier reports suggested it would finally fix one of the feature’s biggest limitations, but this is now in question.
The upgrade in question, internally dubbed Project Toscana, was expected to bring infrared-based face unlock that works in the dark. This would put it closer to Apple’s Face ID in both speed and reliability, but according to leaker Mystic Leaks, the tech is “simply still not ready.” Therefore, it likely won’t make the cut for this year’s flagship.
That’s a notable setback, especially given how long Google has been experimenting with face unlock. The company went all-in back in 2019 with the Pixel 4, which used dedicated IR sensors for secure facial recognition. Since then, Google has shifted to a camera-based system on newer Tensor-powered Pixels, which has proven sufficient for biometric authentication but remains limited by lighting conditions.
Fixing that has been the obvious next step. Earlier reports suggested Project Toscana would address this by embedding IR hardware beneath the display. This could allow for consistent performance regardless of ambient light.
Instead, it now looks like Google may be holding that upgrade back for a future device. Given the complexity of under-display sensors — and the need to balance performance, cost and design — a delay isn’t entirely surprising. Still, it leaves the Pixel 11 sticking with a system that, while improved, isn’t quite class-leading.
The rest of the Pixel 11 leak points to upgrades elsewhere, including new camera hardware and a Tensor G6 chip. This suggests Google isn’t short on headline features. But for users hoping for a more robust face unlock experience, this might be one improvement that has to wait.
As always with leaks, nothing is confirmed yet. But if this holds true, Google’s next big biometric upgrade could be arriving a generation later than expected.
