December Feature Drop for Pixel Phones Bringing New Features
Whether or not you have anyone around to bring you warmth this season, Google is one entity you can count on to cheer you up. The December Feature Drop is here for Pixel phones and it brings a ton of new features to not only the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro but also the company’s older phones and other devices.
The highlight of the update is Gemini Nano, Google’s new AI model that now runs on Pixel 8 Pro. Utilizing the power of the Tensor G3, it brings two new features to the phone:
- Summarize in Recorder: This feature summarizes voice notes.
- Smart Reply in Gboard: Gemini Nano enhances the Smart Reply feature in Gboard to suggest replies with conversational awareness. WhatsApp users can already use it and it’s coming to more apps next year.
As a recent rumor said, the Pixel 8 Pro will get the Video Boost feature to improve the quality of videos. The clips will be sent to Google’s servers where the company’s computational photography models will take care of everything from stabilization to graininess. This feature will also enable Night Sight video for better low-light performance. If Pixel 8 users are feeling left out, there’s a new feature for them (and Pixel 8 Pro owners) to record long timelapse videos in the dark.
Night Sight in Timelapse
Pixel 6 and new phones, the Pixel Fold, and the Pixel Tablet get a better Portrait light feature for improved portrait photos. This feature also works on photos taken previously. Photo Unblur is now better at sharpening photos.
There’s also a Pixel Fold-exclusive feature that takes advantage of the two screens. It shows a preview of a photograph being taken on the outer screen. Google has also introduced an iPhone Continuity Camera-like feature that allows you to use the Pixel Fold and Pixel 6 and newer phones as a webcam for your laptop and desktop. There’s also a helpful new feature called “Clean” that removes smudges and marks from scanned documents. The rumored Repair Mode feature is also here and ensures your data stays out of prying eyes when you send it out for repair.
The Call Screen feature which tells you who’s calling and why will now be able to suggest contextual replies. The Pixel Watch has also received the Call Screen feature and the wearable can also be used to unlock your Pixel phone now. There are two new features for the Pixel Tablet too: Clear Calling for reducing background noise during calls and spatial audio.
