Safety checks, car crash detection and more will hit Pixel phones this month
Google have announced their June update for Pixel devices, with a host of new features arriving on phones, smartwatches and tablets in the Pixel range. The Pixel Feature Drop was confirmed alongside this month’s Android update for Pixel which also fixes loads of bugs to keep your device running smoothly.
Let’s take a look at what new features Pixel phones are getting.
Safety Check
The first new feature is the safety check that uses Google Assistant. You say “Hey Google, start a safety check for 60 minutes” and in an hour Google Assistant will check in on you. If you don’t respond, then Google can notify your emergency contacts and send them your location. Useful if you’re heading off to an unknown place or venturing out on the water.
Car Crash Emergency Sharing
Google is updating it’s car crash detection functionality which means the tool will now be able to contact your emergency contacts and share your real-time location in the event of a crash. The feature previously only alerted emergency services.
Macro Focus Video and Palm Selfie Timer
Macro Focus Video brings the macro capabilities to the video camera on the Google Pixel 7 Pro, allowing you to bring your phone closer to an object when recording so you can focus on small objects such as flowers or insects.
Pixel 6 or newer model owners will now benefit from a new hands-free selfie gesture – you can raise your palm to start the timer and then have 3 or 10 seconds before it automatically takes the photo.
If you snap a photo that you’d like to show off, Google can convert it into a 3D dynamic wallpaper. Additionally, you can play around with over 4,000 emoji wallpaper combinations that can be customised with new colour and patter options.
Audio recording
Pixel phones already have a pretty decent voice recorder but the new update will let you attach speaker labels to a recording. This means you no longer have to remember who was speaking. You can then export the recording transcript to a new Google Docs file, and search for speakers by name within recordings.
Pixel Home app redesign
The Pixel Home app gets a full redesign, making it easier to access smart home devices through the lock screen’s home panel.
Good vibrations
The Pixel 6a and 7a are having their haptics improved which will reduce rattling by lowering the vibration intensity when the device is on a hard surface.
Improved adaptive charging
The Adaptive Charing on your Pixel phone is now apparently powered by Google AI to predict when a long charging session is about to start. If it thinks its going to be on charge for a long time (based on your previous charging patterns), then it’ll charge your phone slowly to 100% based on when it thinks you’ll unplug. The idea being that the battery will last you longer.
These Pixel feature updates have started to roll out but sometimes it can take a few weeks to show up on your device so keep an eye out.
Got a Google Pixel question? Tweet us.
Compare the UK’s best smartphone and SIM only deals at directmobiles.co.uk
Subscribe for mobile news, tips and exclusive offers straight in your inbox
Register your interest for the latest smartphones before they launch
Visit our YouTube channel Direct Mobiles TV for the latest smartphone reviews
Follow us and never miss an update…
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/directmobilesuk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DirectMobilesUK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directmobiles/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/direct-mobiles-uk/
