Previously discovered Adaptive Touch feature is heading to the Pixel 9 series

Last month we told you that Google was working on an Adaptive Touch feature. A string of code discovered in February by Android expert Mishaal Rahman said, "Touch sensitivity will automatically adjust to your environment, activities, and screen protector." In other words, rain or sweat, which normally might stop a Pixel's touchscreen from reading inputs, will work thanks to Adaptive Touch.

While Rahman discovered the code in Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1, he wasn't sure whether the feature would be included with the Pixel 8a and Pixel 9. Now, per Android Authority, he says that new code found in the latest Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update refers to Adaptive Touch as a "P24" feature which means that it will be available in the 2024 flagship Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro handsets. While the feature will debut on the 2024 Pixel 9 series, what is unknown is whether Google will-or even can-offer it to previously released Pixel models.

This is a typical Pixel ploy used by Google. Offer a feature that debuts on the latest flagship Pixel releases and keep it exclusively on those phones for some time in order to generate business for them. After some time goes by, the feature can be pushed out to older Pixel models that are capable of running the feature. Think how Google promoted the Magic Eraser for the Pixel 6 in 2021 and approximately a year and a half later, it made the feature available to all Pixel models. Even non-Pixel Android users and iOS users subscribed to the Google One cloud storage with the Google Photos app installed can use the Magic Eraser.

If Google does plan on releasing Adaptive Touch with this year's flagship Pixel 9 series, it will be interesting to see how much promotion such a feature receives. Is it the sort of thing that can pull iPhone users or Galaxy S series users away from their current phones and give them the impetus to switch to the Pixel 9? Probably not although it doesn't take away from the usefulness of the feature.