Google’s latest Pixel feature drop brings improvements to battery, connectivity, and audio
Google is releasing its latest feature drop for its Pixel phones, which brings several new features and improvements to existing ones.
The first new feature is Hold for Me. This wouldn’t be new to Pixel 5 users but the feature will now be available to other Pixel users from Pixel 3 and above. When you are put on hold during a call, the feature will wait for you and automatically let you know when the person on the other end returns.
Another new feature is Extreme Battery Saver. This limits some apps on your Pixel phone and only allows basic functionality to save power.
The other power saving feature is improvement to the Adaptive Battery feature on Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G), which somehow figures out if you are likely to miss your next charge, and automatically makes adjustments behind the scenes to increase your battery life. An Adaptive Charging feature has also been added to preserve battery health by dynamically controlling the charging speed.
Speaking of the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G), both of these phones also get the new Adaptive Connectivity feature, which automatically switches from 5G to 4G based on the app being used. Apps like web browsers and messaging will fall back to 4G while video streaming apps will utilize the full 5G bandwidth.
Also unique to the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) is a more accurate GPS when you are on foot. It allows mapping applications more specifically pinpoint your location, including knowing which side of the street you are standing on. This feature is available in select countries for now.
The Duo screen sharing feature has been updated to be able to share your screen with more than one person. Now you can share your screen on group calls as well as long as you are on Wi-Fi or 5G.
Google has also updated the Photos app to include an even better image editor on Pixel phones. The Suggestions presets will dynamically change based on the image you are editing using machine learning. The presets can also change the look of the sky for creating sunrise or sunset images.
The Adaptive Sound feature changes the audio of your Pixel’s loudspeaker based on your surroundings. The phone analyzes the ambient audio and changes the loudspeaker sound so it fits the room you are in. Your speaker will sound different if you are in a large room versus a small one.
Your Pixel phone can now also generate a playlist of the songs it has recognized using the Now Playing feature. This playlist can be exported directly to YouTube Music.
For the entire list of all new features in this feature drop, check out the link below.
