Smartphones & Tablets | May 25, 2023
It seems like it was just yesterday when Google unveiled its new Pixel devices, the Pixel Fold, the Pixel 7a, and the Pixel Tablet, but now we need to get ready for their upcoming release. The next generation of Pixel smartphones is expected to be unveiled this summer, coinciding with the launch of Android 14.
Although we have already seen some leaks of the Pixel 8, the video released today by 91Mobiles is possibly the biggest one so far. It appears to be an official Google video, in which the company explains one of the major features of the new phone: a temperature sensor. In fact, the video has been taken down from YouTube, which adds more credibility to it, although it can still be viewed on other platforms, such as Twitter.
Indeed, in addition to the usual cameras, a new sensor will be included, which will be designed to measure skin-level temperature—a feature that many people have likely missed in recent years.
At first glance, the Pixel 8 Pro won’t differ much from last year’s Pixel 7 Pro. It continues with the same design lines, featuring that distinctive “band” that houses the cameras. The major difference compared to the current model is that all the cameras will be housed behind the same glass, whereas in the Pixel 7 Pro, one of the cameras is separated from the rest.
This decision has likely been made to avoid any confusion with the significant addition on the back—the temperature sensor. In this way, the cameras are separated from the sensor, which is located just below the LED flash and has a white appearance. In reality, it is an infrared sensor that can be utilized by Android 14 to measure body temperature.
The temperature sensor functions similarly to other current thermometers that do not require direct contact with the skin. The process is simpler than the 40-second video may suggest. We simply need to initiate the measurement (whether through a specific app or a new feature in Android 14), flip the phone over, and place the back of the phone as close to our forehead as possible without touching it. Then we have to make a movement that covers the circumference of our head from side to side. The phone will vibrate when the process is complete, which will take approximately 4 seconds.
While smartwatches with temperature sensors already exist, this feature could be the standout function of the Pixel 8 Pro for many people, especially in these times when we may have a slight fever without even realizing it.
