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Google may ditch their Active Edge squeeze feature with the Pixel 4a
The Google Pixel 4a may skip out on the Active Edge squeeze feature that invoked the Google Assistant, making it the first phone in recent years without it.
At this point, we know pretty much everything about the Google Pixel 4a. We know how the photos coming out of its camera look like, we know where it’s gonna stand in terms of performance and we also know the probable pricing. However, there’s an interesting tidbit that flew under our radar. As it turns out, the Pixel 4a will miss out on a feature that has been part of the Pixel lineup since the Pixel 2: Active Edge squeeze feature.
Android Q beta lets you remap Active Edge on the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 to other assistant apps
Android Q beta lets Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 users squeeze to launch third-party assistants. Active Edge is restricted to Google Assistant in Android Pie.
One of the best features of the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 is Active Edge. Active Edge lets you squeeze the side of your Pixel to launch the assistant or silence alarms, timers, notifications, and incoming calls. Unlike HTC's Edge Sense, which Active Edge is most likely based on, Active Edge is limited to launching only the Google Assistant service. There are ways to remap Active Edge to do whatever you want, provided you're willing to install a third-party app or root your phone. With the release of Android Q beta, however, it's possible to remap the squeeze function to launch any default assistant on your Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, or Pixel 3 XL.
Google Pixel 3/2's Active Edge squeeze feature has been ported to custom ROMs
A fully open-source port of the popular Active Edge from the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 phones has been made available to the custom ROM community.
For the first time, a fully open-source port of the popular Active Edge from the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 phones has been made available to the custom ROM community, thanks to the efforts of XDA Senior Member Jertlok and the Dirty Unicorns ROM development team. The latter took to Twitter to announce Active Edge's availability.
Google Pixel 3 XL Review: A Polished Camera and Software Experience make up for the Notch [Part 1]
This is our review of the Google Pixel 3 XL and its wireless charging accessory, the Pixel Stand. For part 1, we focus on the camera, software, and design.
Speed, Simplicity, and Security. These 3 words have been used to describe Google's Chrome OS—its desktop/laptop operating system built on the Linux kernel—since it was first introduced. But I would argue that Google's Pixel line of Android smartphones also embodies the three S's in Chrome OS' motto. Google's approach with the Pixel line is wildly different when compared to most Android device makers. Instead of packing every software feature imaginable along with every possible sensor, Google focuses on bringing the best camera performance with the least effort required from the user. Each new iteration of Pixel phone also brings a few new non-camera software features to the table as well as many under-the-hood performance and security enhancements, and the end result is a smartphone with the best of Google software. The Google Pixel 3 XL smartphone has a ton of new Google Camera features and a clean Android Pie interface with some useful additions, but it also has the controversial display notch.
The Google Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are official with Wireless Charging support, Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, and Android Pie
The Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL have been announced. Here's the information you need on their specifications, features, pricing, and availability.
We've seen the Google Pixel 3 leak on the XDA forums (twice), on Reddit, in a cab, in a train, in a Chinese shop, on the Russian black market, but finally, we get to see the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL for ourselves. Today, Google officially unveiled their latest Pixel flagship smartphones along with a wireless charging dock called the Pixel Stand. Although the many leaks have stolen much of Google's thunder, today's Made By Google event finally puts the rest the endless speculation about the two devices. Here's everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL: Google's pair of powerhouse flagship smartphones with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset, wireless charging support, a top-tier camera, the latest version of Android Pie, and yes, a notch (on the XL.)
Here's everything we know about the Google Pixel 3 XL
Everything we know about the Google Pixel 3 XL from its specifications and features to real-life pictures, renders, unboxing videos, and full reviews.
It's been a crazy week for fans of the Google Pixel smartphone line. After a steady trickle of leaks in the first half of the year originating mainly from industry sources, we've now had three separate instances of the Google Pixel 3 XL appearing in public. The first and second leaks originated on our very own forums, and while they revealed the new design and some of the basic hardware specifications, the leakers were unable to share further details because the devices weren't functional. This month, however, several bloggers and YouTubers, mainly from the Ukraine and Russia, got their hands on stolen pre-production Pixel 3 XL units. We've seen a full unboxing video, AnTuTu benchmark rundown, sample photos, and even full reviews. Given how many Pixel 3 XLs are now out in the wild, we haven't even scratched the surface of how many leaks we'll be getting ahead of the device's expected October launch. To help you wrap your head around the plethora of leaks we've seen, here's a summary of everything we know so far about the Google Pixel 3 XL.
Google Pixel 2's Active Edge squeeze feature will return on the Google Pixel 3
The Google Pixel 2 had "Active Edge", a feature which lets you squeeze the sides of the phone to launch Assistant. It's coming back to the Google Pixel 3.
HTC hasn't been doing too great for the last few years, but that hasn't stopped the company from being able to produce some pretty great phones from time to time. The HTC U11's squeeze feature seemed like it would be a one-off gimmick, but it's since made its way over to the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL thanks to the close work between HTC and Google. Called "Active Edge" on the Google Pixel 2, the feature lets you squeeze the frame of the device to launch Google Assistant and silence alarms, timers, notifications, and incoming calls. It's not as customizable as Edge Sense 2.0 on the HTC U12+ (at least, not officially), but it gets the job done. For those of you who are fans of the feature, we have some good news—we have strong evidence that suggests it'll return on the Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL.
Customize the Google Pixel 2's Active Edge to do any action with Edge Sense Plus [XDA Spotlight]
Customize the Google Pixel 2's Active Edge squeeze feature to do literally anything you want using Edge Sense Plus, now with Tasker integration!
It's no secret that Google and HTC have been working together on the Pixel 2. The two companies recently finalized a massive deal which saw the transfer of core HTC engineers over to Google, after all. With how tightly Google controls the design and development of the Pixel smartphones, it's sometimes difficult to see where Google's partner OEM might have had an influence. That isn't true of the Pixel 2's Active Edge feature, which is clearly influenced by HTC's Edge Sense. A major difference between Google and HTC's implementation is that HTC's is far more customizable. Now, however, the Pixel 2's Active Edge customization possibilities are limitless thanks to Edge Sense Plus.
Google Pixel 2 has a Hidden Easter Egg in Active Edge Settings
The Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have an Easter egg mini game hidden in Active Edge settings where you squeeze your phone to pop bubbles.
Google's latest flagship Pixel smartphones, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, initially launched with Android 8.0 Oreo on board but have since received a developer preview of Android 8.1. There's a lot of subtle changes that we've documented in the release, but some changes are more hidden than others. One change we've uncovered isn't what you would really call a feature, but it's consistent with Google's habit of adding some hidden humor to Android. In the Active Edge settings screen of the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL running Android 8.1 Developer Preview 1, there's a hidden Easter egg mini game that involves you squeezing your phone to pop bubbles.
How to Remap Active Edge/Squeeze on the Google Pixel 2
A tutorial on how to remap Active Edge (the squeeze function) on the new Google Pixel 2 or Google Pixel 2 XL using the Button Mapper app.
Since the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL smartphones were announced, we've been looking into ways to customize features on the phone beyond its Google-imposed limitations. One of the first features we started looking into is Active Edge, Google's take on the HTC U11's squeezable frame functions. By default, Active Edge only allows you to squeeze your phone to launch Google Assistant or silence incoming calls, and we discovered that there wasn't going to be a clean solution to remapping Active Edge to do whatever you want. Just as predicted, though, workarounds to remap the squeeze function on the Google Pixel 2 have been found—here's how it's done.