Today isn’t only about Android 14 and the Pixel 8 – it also happens to be a Pixel Feature Drop month for all Pixel device owners. While the bigger story is Android 14 and the new phones, there are still some new goodies on the way for Pixel owners not looking at the shiny new toys.
In this latest feature drop, Google is sending out the new camera app we detailed a few weeks back, showing off the new Monochromatic Theme that came with Android 14, and has added new features to the Pixel Tablet when it’s docked, as well as a new dual screen interpreter mode on the Pixel Fold.
Here’s everything new!
- New Google Camera: The new Google Camera that first showed up a couple of weeks ago is now official and a part of this month’s feature drop. The new app separates the photo and video modes with a toggle at the bottom of the app, so there won’t be any confusion on which mode is best for which scenario. They’ve also moved around some other buttons and changed a couple of gestures. Mostly, though, it’s about the switch for photo and video.
- New clock and wallpaper collections: Google says you’ll find new clock and wallpaper collections. They could be referring to the new clocks found in the QPR1 Beta 1 and we’ll try to confirm that.
- Monochromatic Theme: If you read our Android 14 write-up, you already know what this is, but Google is indeed considering the new non-color monochromatic theme a feature drop feature. That’s probably because it is exclusive to Pixel phones, which makes sense.
- Dual Screen interpreter mode: The Pixel Fold gets a really cool new interpreter mode that uses dual displays to help translate conversations in real-time. As an example, the opened part of the tablet will show you English to Spanish translations, while the cover screen will show the person you are talking to what you are saying in Spanish. The image below really helps explain the experience.
- Kids space navigation: On the Pixel Tablet, Google created a streamlined navigation bar that should make it easier for kids to switch between apps and get back to the home screen if necessary.
- News and podcasts on tablet: The Pixel Tablet can also n ow play podcasts and the news through a Google Assistant command when it is docked in Hub Mode.
Since this Pixel Feature Drop is arriving on the same day as Android 14 and the Pixel 8, let’s try not to let it get lost in the fun. If you own a current Pixel, these features are headed your way (depending on the device).
Anything look wonderful?