Pixel 5 ditches Pixel Neural Core, Soli Radar, and Motion Sense

Earlier, we told you that there was no mention of the Pixel Neural Core when the Pixel 5 was announced. It was a chip that was made available on the Pixel 4 series. It was responsible for special features like always-on listening and machine learning. The new Pixel 5 doesn’t have it. It’s supposed to help the Pixel’s camera performance and aid in IR face unlock. There is no official announcement but the Pixel team shared with Android Police that the Snapdragon 765G chip is enough to achieve the same camera performance.

Last year’s Snapdragon 855 processor included a Neural core. The Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G are both powered by the Snapdragon 765G. We’re assuming it has something equivalent and not just the 5G modem.

The Pixel 5 is more affordable at $699 compared to the $799 Pixel 4. The new Pixel also doesn’t come with a built-in radar maybe that’s why it is cheaper. Google has also removed the Motion Sense features which means no more related sensors or unlocking.

Again, Google has not provided an explanation but our source shared the Project Soli radar and the gestures will be back. They are not part of the Pixel 5 because they wanted to keep the cost down.

Air gestures are great but we don’t think they are that important. They are nice to have but not really necessary. A face unlock may even be forgotten for now. The rear fingerprint sensor will be enough. It may be too early to judge the Pixel 5. Let’s wait and see if and how the new flagship smartphone will exceed our expectations.