When a General from the U.S. Department of War needs to check on an urgent matter with Secretary Pete Hegseth, there is probably a protocol that must be followed to make sure that communications are secure and that a reporter isn't accidentally part of a chat group or a group phone call. For conversations that don't need to be as secure, the Department of War now has added Google's Pixel phones to a list of handsets that can be used by federal agencies, including what was once known inside the White House as the Department of Defense.
This is a big deal for Google as it made clear in a blog post it wrote last week. "Achieving placement on the (DoDIN) Approved Products List (APL) establishes a crucial foundation of trust and enables government agencies to confidently procure Google Pixel phones, knowing they adhere to the highest security standards required," said the company. It is somewhat ironic that Google is raving about the Pixel's inclusion in a list of products that can be bought by a federal government that has called the company a monopoly and tried to rip it apart. But that is another story for another day.
The Pixel 9 is the highest rated for security features says a third-party report
Google says that Pixel phones are "mission-ready" and the company cites a third-party report that calls the Pixel 9 series "the highest rated for security features empowering government employees to securely connect and collaborate from virtually anywhere—even the most remote environments." Google notes that the high speed, low latency, and increased mobility of 5G brings new capabilities to the military that are important when it comes to holding high-priority and secure conversations.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL is highly rated for security says Google. | Image credit-PhoneArena
Besides being mission ready, the Pixel handset line also features intelligent security that is "seamlessly integrated" into the Google ecosystem. The company says that the military will use Google products, including Pixel phones, for "on-site data capture and secure transmission, and to digitize and standardize data collection."
Google highlights several AI features for the Pixel 9 series
One federal agency in charge of procuring energy resources for the military looked to improve its capabilities related to fuel inspection and auditing over 500 global locations. Currently, the government handles these chores manually and the data is archived manually. As a result, the military has run into issues accessing this data in real-time. Now, the military will use Google cloud services and Pixel phones to digitize the data. The handsets will also capture the data on-site and transmit it securely.
Google has put up a website titled "Google Pixel for Public Sector." On the site, Google says, "Equipped with trusted Google technology and built-in threat protection, Pixel empowers public sector employees to securely connect and collaborate from virtually anywhere—even the most challenging environments."
Are you surprised that Pixel phones have been approved for use by the federal government?
Yes. Pixels historically have had some issues.
10%
No. Pixel phones are secure and offer great AI capabilities.
90%
The Pixel's AI features highlighted on the website include Gemini, the AI assistant on Pixel phones, Summarize, which is the AI feature that will give you a spoken overview of written content on your display, Live Translate, which translates text messages in real-time, and Circle to Search. The latter allows you to search or translate images, video, or text on your display in two taps, without having to use another app.
The Pixel 9 line also has multiple layers of security features such as the Tensor G4 security core, which works with the certified Titan M2 security chip to provide multiple layers of security to keep your data safe. The device offers at least 7 years of Pixel Feature Drops, Android, and security updates. The phones also include Biometric security protection such as Fingerprint Unlock and Face Unlock.
"Iconic Phones" is coming this Fall!
Good news everyone! Over the past year we've been working on an exciting passion project of ours and we're thrilled to announce it will be ready to release in just a few short months.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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