The first Google Pixel feature drop of the year is here, and it brings a ton of new features for a good number of Pixel phones. This feature drop has also made the latest Google Pixel 8 Pro get a hardware feature that should’ve been enabled from the launch.
With this Google Pixel feature drop, the company has also announced a new colorway for the Google Pixel 8 series. It’s called Mint, and it’s currently available for ordering on the Google Store.
January Google Pixel Feature Drop 2024: Pixel 8 Exclusive Features
The main highlight of this Pixel feature drop is mostly the Google Pixel 8 series. Here’s everything that’s exclusive to the new phones:
Medical-grade Body Temperature Reading
As mentioned earlier, this Google Pixel feature drop has enabled a feature in the Google Pixel 8 Pro that should be there at launch. But Google has a valid reason not to include it at lunch. If you’re wondering what the feature is, it’s related to the temperature sensor that’s on the back of the 8 Pro.
Until now, this temperature sensor could only take readings of objects. Google didn’t have the required FDA approval to make the sensor take body temperature readings. But as it’s getting rolled out with this Google Pixel feature drop, it means the company finally has it.
So, after you get the rollout, you can finally use the temperature sensor to get your or someone else’s body temperature. Google is also allowing users to save the readings on their Fitbit profile. This will enable you to get a better understanding of the readings.
Circle to Search
The Circle to Search feature is one of the main highlights of the Samsung Galaxy AI. Well, Samsung did make it clear at the S24 series launch event that it’s a feature that Google collaborated with. That basically hinted that the same feature would come to the Google Pixel 8 series. And it did with the latest Google Pixel feature drop.
As the name suggests, with this feature, you can circle anything to start a Google search. To initiate it, you need to hold the navigation bar/home button. After that, you can circle, tap, highlight, or scribble over anything you see on the screen. You will then get Google search results right on the app you’re in.
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Magic Compose of Google Pixel Feature Drop for Pixel 8 Series
The last feature of the latest Pixel feature drop for the Pixel 8 lineup is Magic Compose. It’s basically a generative AI feature that’s for the Google Messages app. This feature will help you to rewrite drafted messages. You can get the draft in different styles. That means it can change the tone to more dramatic, professional, or more.
This feature brought by the latest Pixel feature drop will work on Google Pixel 8 Pro on-device. The other phone will get it as a cloud AI service.
January 2024 Google Pixel Feature Drop: Features for Other Pixel Devices
While this Pixel feature drop mostly focuses on the new devices, the old devices are also getting some love. Here are all the other features that are not exclusive to the Google Pixel 8 series:
Photomoji
Google Messages is getting another feature other than Magic Compose. It’s called Photomoji, which was already available to the users in the beta tester program. With this Google Pixel feature drop, the feature is now available to the public. Wondering what the feature is for?
With it, you get the ability to transform any photo into a reaction. You just need to hit Create and select your desired image from the media picker. It will basically make messaging on Google Messages a little more fun. This feature is available to Google Pixel 3a and later.
Quick Share
Google and Samsung collaborated together to rebrand the Google Nearby Share. After this Pixel feature drop, it’s now called Quick Share. It still does what Nearby Share used to do. That is, it allows you to quickly share files from your phone to other devices. With the update, it will have a new icon.
As for which devices are getting, all the Google Pixel and Android phones with Android 6 and up will have it. Also, the feature will work on Windows 10 and later and Chrome OS version 91 and up.
Audio Switch
The latest Google Pixel feature drop also brings an audio feature. Called Audio Switch, this feature is for the Pixel Watch, Pixel Tablet, and Pixel 5a and later. It allows the Pixel Buds Pro to automatically connect when you switch between the paired devices. After the update, users will also get a notification that will let them know where the audio is switching to.
When Will You Get the Latest Google Pixel Feature Drop Update?
All the new features should be available to the Pixel 8 lineup starting today, January 25. However, the rollout can be slow to different regions, and it can take a while for older devices to get the new Pixel feature drop.
