Earlier this year, former Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside revealed that the dimple on the back of the Nexus 6 was supposed to include a fingerprint reader, but that Motorola decided to pass on the feature after Apple bought AuthenTec. Fast-forward to today, and we’re getting a peek at what could have been.
Images of a Nexus 6 prototype with a fingerprint reader have surfaced on Chinese social networking site Sina Weibo. At first glance, the device looks like a regular N6, but peering under the rear cover reveals that the dimple houses what is said to be a fingerprint reader.
Lollipop doesn’t include native fingerprint authentication like Android M does, so it’s not clear exactly what using your fingerprint on the Nexus 6 would’ve been like. That said, it’s interesting to get a peek at a prototype Nexus 6 equipped with a fingerprint reader and wonder what could have been.
Android M does include native support for fingerprint readers, allowing you to do things like unlike your phone and authenticate purchases with your fingerprint. And while it remains to be see what Google’s got in store for its new Nexus devices, the rumor mill has suggested that we could see a new Nexus phone with a built-in fingerprint reader later this year.