What you need to know
- Google will supposedly bring some of the Pixel 7 features to older Pixel phones.
- The Pixel 6 line will apparently receive support for Clear Calling, Guided Frame, and Real Tone enhancements.
- These features are said to be arriving as part of a future Feature Drop in December.
This year’s Google Pixel flagship line debuted with a bunch of new features and enhancements powered by the Tensor G2 chipset, but these capabilities won’t be limited to the Pixel 7 line for long.
According to PhoneArena (opens in new tab), Google has confirmed that some of the Pixel 7 series’ features are coming to the Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, and Pixel 6a in the future. One of the marquee features is Clear Calling, which filters out background noise and makes the voice on the other end of the line clearer using machine learning. Google said during its Pixel 7 launch that Clear Calling provides a better phone call experience even if the person you’re talking to is “on a windy street or in a noisy restaurant.”
Another nifty capability coming to the Pixel 6 series is Guided Frames, which allows people with low vision to take better selfies by using audio guides and haptics. Google’s Real Tone is also making its way to the Pixel 6 series. It accurately represents all skin tones and is expanding to Night Sight and Portrait mode.
Quick phrases such as “silence” will also arrive on the Pixel 6 phones, allowing you to mute the ringtone of an incoming call using your voice. Unfortunately, the long-awaited Face Unlock, as well as the improved Super Res Zoom, will reportedly remain exclusive to Pixel 7 phones for some time.
If you own a Pixel phone, this confirmation doesn’t come as a surprise given that new features brought about by Google’s best Android phones each year traditionally trickle down to older handsets.
Most of the new capabilities introduced by the Pixel 7 line require a Tensor chipset, so don’t expect them to arrive on models older than last year’s models. That said, the improved At a Glance widget and Audio Message Transcription features are expected to arrive on the Pixel 4a and all newer models later this year.
The new features are expected to land on the Pixel 6 line in December as part of a future Feature Drop, which will supposedly introduce spatial audio support to the Pixel Buds Pro as a Pixel 6 exclusive.
You can join the Android 13 beta testing if you want to gain early access to these capabilities, assuming you don’t mind a buggy experience. If you want to get your hands on the latest and greatest Pixel phones, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are now available for preorder via different channels.
The Pixel 7 absolutely nails the basics, with Google’s latest Tensor G2 platform and a fantastic 50MP camera alongside a 12MP wide-angle lens. The smaller size makes it ideal for one-handed use, and the low price of $599 makes it an excellent value when compared to other cameras on the market.
The Pixel 7 Pro is built on the same platform as the Pixel 7, but it has a larger 6.7-inch screen with a faster 120Hz refresh rate and a higher resolution panel. You also get a 5x optical zoom zoom lens on the back and a larger 5000mAh battery that should easily last a day.
