Google’s Pixel devices have been experiencing its day in the light for a couple of years now. Some reports claim that it's the fastest-growing smartphone in the U.S.
While the OG Pixel had a lukewarm reception, the follow-up Pixel 2 told a different story. It was, aside from the nit-pickers that gnawed on the blue tilt of the screens, one of the best-loved phones of its cycle. The Pixel 3, on the other hand, had a brief scuffle with scandal. Specifically, the Pixel 3 XL had a humungous notch that became the butt of all jokes for quite a while. The smaller, more conservative version, however, was among the best-reviewed phones compared to its peers.
This growth leads us - the fourth iteration of Google’s Pixel. It hasn’t even been announced yet, but the leaks are already giving us a pretty detailed look at Google’s newest smartphone venture. It should be said, however, that Google’s not very protective about the information on its smartphones in general. The Pixel 3 XL’s humungous notch, for example, was seen from a mile away. Tech enthusiasts, therefore, already have plenty to write about this early.
So, what can we expect from this interesting new outing for Google? We’ve gathered the most impactful here, so you don’t have to.
Project Soli
It’s been rumoured for years that Google was working on something called Project Soli. It’s supposed to make touch-less gesture control a lot more accurate. According to leaks, the futuristic tech is ready for primetime and the Pixel 4 if where Google chooses to debut it.
Previous handsets have tried doing this air-based gesture control before. The Galaxy S4, way back in 2014, is one notable example. The latest ones to try it was LG with their LG V50. Both of them, however, used mainly their front cameras.
The intention for those phones was good; the execution, however, was flawed. Changing songs from without having to speak or pick up the phone can be a nice functionality. But doing so, only using the smartphone’s camera, no matter how high-resolution, is frustratingly a bit of a hit or miss.
Project Soli, on the other hand, adds a radar to this mix. This would theoretically improve gesture accuracy. Only time will tell whether it will work any better than the Galaxy S4 and the others that came before it.
Camera
Whether you’re using an expensive mirrorless camera or just your smartphone, taking pictures of objects in motion is a herculean task. A pet that you just can’t get to pose and keep still, for example, takes a lot of work.
The Pixel 4 is rumoured to have a Motion Mode that helps you capture moving objects in your frame. It’s probably going to use a lot of A.I. magic just like how it did with bokeh effects on portraits.
It’s not clear yet what the new camera setup has to do with this feature. Will it be using the all three cameras at once and stitch it together for a great moving photo? Or maybe, they’re just going to use the plain old power of A.I.
Speaking of camera setup, it’s important to note that the Pixel 4 should have a similar square camera module as the newly announced iPhone. It should house 3 of the most common sensor setups namely, the zoom, wide, and ultrawide. This makes the Pixel 4 an even more versatile camera phone.
The Motion Mode and the three-camera setup are going to help make the case for Pixel 4 as the ultimate camera phone out there. It's as if Google intends their new phone to be the only camera that most people would ever buy no matter what the situation.
It's already one of the best night-time cameras with its Night Mode feature and it's also a great portrait camera. The zoom lens is going to be a welcome addition. The motion mode, on the other hand, has the potential to become the next sought-after software feature on a smartphone camera. Much like what Night Mode was for the Pixel 2.
Dropping the Notch and Increasing Refresh Rate
One feature that a lot of people knocked on the Pixel 3XL was the Apple-esque notch. It probably would have been better received if it had some sort of new technology or functionality behind it like the iPhone X. But with nothing, not even a massively improved sound quality behind it, the unapologetic notch was considered by many as a design flaw that’s difficult to ignore.
The Pixel 4, is probably taking a cue from consumer reactions by axing the notch in favour of the full forehead. The bottom bezel where speakers used to be, on the other hand, was removed. Instead, the speakers can be found at the bottom of the phone. The aesthetic result is an imbalanced looking screen.
However, users will probably be able to forgive this one because there’s some actual tech behind the huge forehead. For one thing, it houses the aforementioned radar for Project Soli. The second reason is that it should also house a more secure facial recognition system.
Furthermore, I don't think people will mind the forehead too much because the rumoured panel that they're going to use can go up to 90hz. This means fluid navigation throughout the whole OS. This doesn't mean much in terms of functionality. It does, however, make using the phone for a longer period of time much better optically. If you've ever used Apple's iPad Pros, you'd know how important this update is.
Niche No More
When Google launched the Pixel phone in 2016, it was most definitely a niche product. Samsung, Huawei, and other big names in the Android space were making a killing with their twist on Google's open-sourced OS.
However, people are starting to recognize that those brands aren’t the only players on the Android block. The Google Pixel is no longer just defined as a stock Android phone. It’s become a great phone unto itself.
Overall, the Pixel 4 leaks seem to suggest some major upgrades for the Pixel line of devices. If everything goes according to plan, this particular phone could potentially launch the brand to mainstream status.
While the OG Pixel had a lukewarm reception, the follow-up Pixel 2 told a different story. It was, aside from the nit-pickers that gnawed on the blue tilt of the screens, one of the best-loved phones of its cycle. The Pixel 3, on the other hand, had a brief scuffle with scandal. Specifically, the Pixel 3 XL had a humungous notch that became the butt of all jokes for quite a while. The smaller, more conservative version, however, was among the best-reviewed phones compared to its peers.
This growth leads us - the fourth iteration of Google’s Pixel. It hasn’t even been announced yet, but the leaks are already giving us a pretty detailed look at Google’s newest smartphone venture. It should be said, however, that Google’s not very protective about the information on its smartphones in general. The Pixel 3 XL’s humungous notch, for example, was seen from a mile away. Tech enthusiasts, therefore, already have plenty to write about this early.
So, what can we expect from this interesting new outing for Google? We’ve gathered the most impactful here, so you don’t have to.
Project Soli
It’s been rumoured for years that Google was working on something called Project Soli. It’s supposed to make touch-less gesture control a lot more accurate. According to leaks, the futuristic tech is ready for primetime and the Pixel 4 if where Google chooses to debut it.
Previous handsets have tried doing this air-based gesture control before. The Galaxy S4, way back in 2014, is one notable example. The latest ones to try it was LG with their LG V50. Both of them, however, used mainly their front cameras.
The intention for those phones was good; the execution, however, was flawed. Changing songs from without having to speak or pick up the phone can be a nice functionality. But doing so, only using the smartphone’s camera, no matter how high-resolution, is frustratingly a bit of a hit or miss.
Project Soli, on the other hand, adds a radar to this mix. This would theoretically improve gesture accuracy. Only time will tell whether it will work any better than the Galaxy S4 and the others that came before it.
Camera
Whether you’re using an expensive mirrorless camera or just your smartphone, taking pictures of objects in motion is a herculean task. A pet that you just can’t get to pose and keep still, for example, takes a lot of work.
The Pixel 4 is rumoured to have a Motion Mode that helps you capture moving objects in your frame. It’s probably going to use a lot of A.I. magic just like how it did with bokeh effects on portraits.
It’s not clear yet what the new camera setup has to do with this feature. Will it be using the all three cameras at once and stitch it together for a great moving photo? Or maybe, they’re just going to use the plain old power of A.I.
Speaking of camera setup, it’s important to note that the Pixel 4 should have a similar square camera module as the newly announced iPhone. It should house 3 of the most common sensor setups namely, the zoom, wide, and ultrawide. This makes the Pixel 4 an even more versatile camera phone.
The Motion Mode and the three-camera setup are going to help make the case for Pixel 4 as the ultimate camera phone out there. It's as if Google intends their new phone to be the only camera that most people would ever buy no matter what the situation.
It's already one of the best night-time cameras with its Night Mode feature and it's also a great portrait camera. The zoom lens is going to be a welcome addition. The motion mode, on the other hand, has the potential to become the next sought-after software feature on a smartphone camera. Much like what Night Mode was for the Pixel 2.
Dropping the Notch and Increasing Refresh Rate
One feature that a lot of people knocked on the Pixel 3XL was the Apple-esque notch. It probably would have been better received if it had some sort of new technology or functionality behind it like the iPhone X. But with nothing, not even a massively improved sound quality behind it, the unapologetic notch was considered by many as a design flaw that’s difficult to ignore.
The Pixel 4, is probably taking a cue from consumer reactions by axing the notch in favour of the full forehead. The bottom bezel where speakers used to be, on the other hand, was removed. Instead, the speakers can be found at the bottom of the phone. The aesthetic result is an imbalanced looking screen.
However, users will probably be able to forgive this one because there’s some actual tech behind the huge forehead. For one thing, it houses the aforementioned radar for Project Soli. The second reason is that it should also house a more secure facial recognition system.
Furthermore, I don't think people will mind the forehead too much because the rumoured panel that they're going to use can go up to 90hz. This means fluid navigation throughout the whole OS. This doesn't mean much in terms of functionality. It does, however, make using the phone for a longer period of time much better optically. If you've ever used Apple's iPad Pros, you'd know how important this update is.
Niche No More
When Google launched the Pixel phone in 2016, it was most definitely a niche product. Samsung, Huawei, and other big names in the Android space were making a killing with their twist on Google's open-sourced OS.
However, people are starting to recognize that those brands aren’t the only players on the Android block. The Google Pixel is no longer just defined as a stock Android phone. It’s become a great phone unto itself.
Overall, the Pixel 4 leaks seem to suggest some major upgrades for the Pixel line of devices. If everything goes according to plan, this particular phone could potentially launch the brand to mainstream status.