Google's December feature drop brings Pixel 5 features to older Pixels
Monday, December 7, 2020 at 10:07PM
Nicole Batac in Android, Android apps, Google, Google Pixel, Mobile, News, Press release, app news

The December update for Pixel devices is now available, and it brings some features from its latest Pixel to older devices. In the US, Pixel 3 devices and later models will get Assistant's "Hold for Me" feature, which lets the voice assistant wait for someone to come on the line if you're put on hold. Older Pixel devices also now get access to Extreme Battery Saver mode, which allows you only to run the most crucial apps so you can extend battery life further.

As for the new Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G, these get some improvements, too. Google makes GPS on these smartphones more accurate on foot, but it isn't rolling out to all available countries yet. There are also new context-aware battery features, like Adaptive Battery and Adaptive Charging.

Adaptive Battery can save more power if you miss your usual charging schedule, while Adaptive Charging preserves battery health by controlling how quickly your phone charges.

The new Pixels also get Adaptive Connectivity, which automatically switches between 5G and 4G, depending on what app you're on. So, if you're doing something on your phone that doesn't need fast internet speeds, it'll switch to 4G. 

On top of those features, the Pixel Buds' Adaptive Sound comes to Pixel phones, too. This function automatically adjusts the volume of what you're listening to based on your surroundings. According to Google, it can also improve the sound quality of the phones' speakers by using the microphone to pick up environmental acoustics and adjust in-app sound equalizer settings.

Duo on Pixels now supports screen sharing in group calls on Wi-Fi or 5G. Pixels can also now detect if you're looking at a site in a different language from your default and translate it with Google Lens. There are new icons, grid views, and app shapes to choose from, too. 

If you have Now Playing enabled, a Shazam-like feature that recognizes songs while you're out and about, you can export them to a playlist in YouTube Music.

Source: Engadget

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