Beginning with the Pixel 2 series, Google introduced a novel hardware feature whereby you could squeeze the sides of your phone to bring up the Google Assistant. This was pretty divisive, with some hailing it as an innovative new method of interaction while others saw it as a needless gimmick. Google ditched it for the Pixel 4a and 4a 5G, as well as the Pixel 5 and 5a, but it looks like they could be resurrecting it for the Pixel 6.
Official product listings for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro fabric case, seen by both Roland Quandt of WinFuture and XDA’s Mishaal Rahman, apparently mention Active Edge support along with Battery Share. Normally, we would assume this is just a placeholder taken from a previous model, but the Pixel 5 had reverse wireless charging without squeezable sides, while the Pixel 4 supported only Active Edge. Since it would be weird to mix up placeholder text in this way, and as Quandt is certain the SKU IDs are legitimate, it’s quite possible that this is accurate information and that the Pixel 6 is bringing back Active Edge.
Could just be a placeholder, but those product listings mention both Active Edge support and Battery Share. Pixel 4 had the former but lacked the latter, while Pixel 5 had the latter but lacked the former. If this is placeholder text, that’s weird.
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) September 14, 2021
Now, we cannot say this with any certainty, and we haven’t seen the listing ourselves, but it would be an enticing development for those who’ve missed the feature since it was dropped by Google.
I personally never got on very well with it, since I felt the pressure-sensitive sides either required too much force to activate the Assistant or could too easily be accidentally triggered, depending on which settings you opted for. Even so, its inclusion would lend even more credence to the expectation that Google is going all-in with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro to give us the most fully-featured phones the company has ever produced. The latest video teaser has us very excited, and we shouldn’t have long to wait now.
