Skip to main content

Nexus 6 fingerprint scanner plans thwarted by Apple

Former Motorola CEO Dennis Woodside has revealed in an interview with The Telegraph that the Nexus 6 almost included a fingerprint sensor, but the plans were thwarted, indirectly, by Apple. Woodside said the “dimple” on the Nexus 6’s rear panel was originally going to house a fingerprint sensor, but Motorola’s supplier wasn’t able to deliver a suitable component in time.

“The secret behind that is it was supposed to be fingerprint recognition,” said Woodside about the Nexus 6’s Motorola logo, “and Apple bought the best supplier. So the second best supplier was the only one available to everyone else in the industry and they weren’t there yet.” Although the feature obviously never made it onto the phone, Woodside then concedes its inclusion “wouldn’t have made that big a difference.”

Recommended Videos

Woodside left Motorola for Dropbox after the company was acquired by Lenovo, and says he now enjoys the freedom from the “uncontrollable market forces” which made the Nexus 6’s fingerprint sensor impossible.

A fingerprint sensor was repeatedly mentioned in rumors leading up to the Nexus 6’s launch, when the device was referred to under the Shamu codename. Although there’s no mention of it in this new interview, the fingerprint sensor issues may have been responsible for the slight delay in the phone’s initial launch, and its wide international release; particularly if plans were changed at the last minute.

Google was clearly intent on Motorola fitting a fingerprint sensor to the Nexus 6, despite Woodside’s hint it wouldn’t have been a major feature, which does suggest we’ll see a Nexus phone with one in the future. The fingerprint sensor in the iPhone and the iPad is a key component in the Apple Pay system.

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
There may not be an iPhone in 10 years’ time, says top Apple exec
A person holding the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Well, whouda thunk it. A top Apple executive positing the idea that in 10 years from now, the iPhone -- your beloved iPhone (unless you have a beloved Android phone, that is) -- may no longer exist.

Before your head explodes at the mere thought of Apple abandoning the iPhone in 10 years’ time, there’s also a chance that in 2035 there will be an iPhone 27, or whatever’s Apple’s calling it by then.

Read more
Apple admits Siri’s AI features are “taking a bit longer” than expected
Pulling up Siri on lock screen of iPhone.

On an earnings call with analysts yesterday, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the more advanced Siri is under active development, but it could still be a while before it arrives. He assured callers that Apple is "making progress," but didn't give any indication of a launch window. Cook spoke extensively about the Apple Intelligence features that have already been released on iOS 18, including Genmoji, Clean Up, ChatGPT integration, and more.

Cook went on to say, "With regard to the more personal Siri features we announced, we need more time to complete our work on these features so they meet our high-quality bar. We are making progress, and we look forward to getting these features into customers’ hands."

Read more
iPhone theft victim sues Apple. It sparks a new hope for others, too
The iPhone 16 sticking out of someone's pocket.

Smartphones are the center of our digital existence. Not just because they open the doors for communication and social connection, but also due to their role as gatekeepers of our financial and professional lives. 

Needless to say, a stolen iPhone can upend your life in many ways, but it’s even harder to recover those precious files stored on the device. A few victims of iPhone theft may finally have a chance, thanks to a lawsuit against Apple over not offering enough help in recovery efforts.

Read more