Google Pixel 4a will reportedly ditch Active Edge
The Google Pixel 4a is reportedly going to be cheaper than last year's Pixel 3a despite having more storage. However, everything comes at a cost, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Google cut corners on its next mid-ranger. Well, apparently, the first thing that's going is the Active Edge feature.
To jog your memory, this feature made a debut with the Pixel 2 and has been present on every Pixel phone since then. 9to5Google's Stephen Hall claims that it will not be there on the Pixel 4a. The feature is reportedly not present on the pre-release Pixel 4a. It's hard to say at this time if the Pixel 5 will also ditch this feature.
The feature has apparently been replaced with a double-tap rear gesture, so fans wouldn't really be missing out. This new functionality will presumably not need special hardware and will utilize the accelerometer and gyroscope, so it's a win-win. It will let you tap the back of the phone twice to perform various tasks and should theoretically be about as good as Active Edge.
And in case you are wondering, Google is probably already hard at work to ensure the feature is not activated accidentally.
The functionally will probably roll out to other Android phones in the future but at first, it will likely be exclusive to Pixel handsets.
Active Edge basically lets users summon the Google assistant, silence incoming calls, and snooze the alarm clock. You can even remap it to use a digital assistant of your choice. Sure, you can also use touch inputs to perform these actions, but tactile input is sometimes faster and more effortless.
And in case you are wondering, Google is probably already hard at work to ensure the feature is not activated accidentally.
The functionally will probably roll out to other Android phones in the future but at first, it will likely be exclusive to Pixel handsets.
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