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Google Pixel 4a will reportedly ditch Active Edge

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By Anam Hamid

Published: May 18, 2020, 8:03 PM

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.

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.

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.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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