The Pixel 8 Pro has a contactless thermometer: Google’s funny idea

How to stand out in a market already flooded with smartphones of all kinds? With his Pixel 8 ProGoogle has chosen (among other things) to play the unexpected card with a temperature sensor integrated into the phone.

Have you ever wanted to know the exact temperature of your morning cup of coffee (or tea)? If so, then the Pixel 8 Pro may be the smartphone for you. Indeed, in the middle of a technical sheet worthy of the best high-end mobiles, a surprising little sensor has slipped in: a contactless thermometer.

A gadget sensor?

Rumors concerning this feature had already intrigued the Web even before the release of the phone, but Google did indeed confirm during its presentation keynote that one of the advantages of the Pixel 8 Pro compared to the Pixel 8 would therefore be its sensor. temperature.

During the presentation conference, Google explained that this wireless thermometer is “ a good way to check the temperature of your stove or that of your baby’s bottle “. The first tests carried out by American media show that the sensor works more or less as promised. By approaching the phone to “ approximately 5cm » of the object, the phone is able to measure its temperature using the “thermometer” application integrated into the Pixel 8 Pro.

The software can measure the temperature of a whole bunch of objects, from a plate full of food to a T-shirt, including that of your windows at home. Google adds that the measurement accuracy depends on the selected object category, the distance between the object and the phone, and the temperature range (it appears that the phone works best for objects between -20°C and +150°C).

A special COVID phone

If this feature seems strange to you, that’s because it is. Other smartphones released earlier already included temperature sensors (we are thinking in particular of the Galaxy S4 or the Honor Play 4 Pro), but the tool has never been widely adopted by any manufacturer, due to a lack of public interest without doubt.

The real interest of such technology is undoubtedly to be found in a remark made quickly by a Google spokesperson, who indicated that, provided the right authorizations are obtained, the Pixel 8 Pro will also be able to allow you to take your body temperature and add it to the FitBit app to track your health.

No doubt the Pixel 8 Pro was born in the minds of engineers during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Google felt at the time that such a gadget would be very useful. Unfortunately, the time it takes to bring a phone to market is particularly long, this innovation seems strange at a time when the coronavirus occupies a less central place in our everyday lives.

Source : 9to5Google