Those who own an older Pixel 2 or Pixel 3 are probably considering upgrading. Google’s latest Pixel 4 and for good reason. While the Pixel 4 is getting faster, some of the best features are coming to the older Pixel 3 and even the cheaper Pixel 3a. Most of these neat features arrived late last year, and more are coming.
So if you’re arguing about the Pixel 4 or Pixel 3, it might be worth buying. cheaper old model depending on your needs.
In this guide, we’ll explain some nice new features from Google. Next, we’ll let you know if and when your old Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL will. Including new astrophotography camera controls, spam search scanning or that fancy recording app and live captioning.
Some of Google’s new additions are exclusive to Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, or some Android 10-only features; so many of these features will be available on other Pixel phones as well. You don’t need to spend $800-900 on the Pixel 4 to get these sweet new camera tricks. And while we knew most of them would come, we didn’t know when.
Between December “Pixel Dump of Features” and now February updateHere’s what to expect.
Best New Pixel 3 Features (from Pixel 4)
A Better and Faster Google Assistant
Google Assistant keeps getting better and better. Also, we are still waiting for some great features coming later this year. As we saw at Google I/O in March, the Assistant team has managed to cram the 100GB cloud model and artificial intelligence behind Google Assistant into a small file that fits on EVERY device.
This means that everything happens on the device even when there is no internet connection. This makes it better, faster and available on your Pixel 3, tablet, laptop and more. Basically, the powerful new Google Assistant we saw on the Pixel 4 will be available on older devices very soon. Google claims it’s actually up to 10 times faster than before.
Astrophotography Mode and Night Sight (Taking pictures of stars)
Google’s new astrophotography mode on Pixel 4 is stunning, just look at these photos. Meanwhile, a additional As far as the Night Sight camera controls introduced with the Pixel 3. update Google has delivered all this to older devices for the camera. You can enjoy the latest camera UI, Astrophotography mode and more on your Pixel 3 right now.
Google confirmed this on Twitter and delivered it shortly after. Now you can use your Pixel 3 without a tripod to take amazing photos of the stars, the big bucket and even the Milky Way. It’s incredible, isn’t it? Better still, you can do this on the cheaper Pixel 3a.
Live Subtitles
Perhaps one of the newest features of the Pixel 4 is Live Captions. Google added the ability to extract any audio from any video and add subtitles on the fly. Basically, add your own CC (subtitle) button to whatever you want to watch on your phone.
This may not seem like a big deal at first, but imagine waiting while watching a video at work, on public transport, or at the barbershop, but turning it off or not making a sound. Now you can find out exactly what’s going on with Live Caption. Quite remarkable indeed, and yes, it’s finally available on the Pixel 3, following the latest December Pixel update. Also, the update added the new Styles and Themes option, which is pretty cool.
You can easily turn subtitles on or off and even drag them around the screen so they don’t get in your way. Even better, it works without an internet connection, which is crazy. If you already have the December update, try the new Styles in the wallpaper section or try the Live Captions and get ready to be amazed.
Best Shot for Videos
Top Shot on Pixel 3 is an AI feature that uses artificial intelligence to record a better photo than you took at any given moment. It basically takes a series of images when you press the shutter button and looks for errors like facial hair, closed eyes or blurry objects. If any moment before or after your click was better, it will select it for you and automatically save it. It’s just one of the many things that make the Pixel phone smarter than most.
Surprisingly, Google has added the same technology to what they call “short videos”. If you hold down the shutter button while taking a photo, a mini video will also be recorded. You can automatically get the best view of that video or great photos. This is now available for the Pixel 3 and the latest Pixel 4.
Automatic Call Scanning
Perhaps the most useful new feature is Google’s Automatic Call Scanning weeds out all those annoying spam and automated calls. Automatic call tracking does exactly as it appears and checks numbers and information beforehand. So you don’t have to deal with all that garbage.
Last year, Google said it would roll out to all Pixel devices running Android 10 “in a few weeks,” but it took a little longer than expected. We can now confirm that those who own the older Pixel 3 have been updated after the February Pixel Android 10 update. get a search scanand we’re seeing reports that the Pixel 2 is doing just as well. You may need to go into the phone app and enable it so try that as well using the steps above.
Recorder App and Live Copy
Google’s brand new Recorder app seems like a powerful tool for students, journalists, business users, or really anyone. It is also a recording application that can copy everything it hears in real time without an internet connection. You can also search for specific words, sounds (like music or clap) and it will find them for you.
So you can record a 2-hour lecture in the classroom and find specific areas or topics in seconds. Looks pretty clean and isn’t ready for all Pixel devices right here. While all of Google’s videos say “on Pixel 4 only” we already have the app installed on our Pixel 3 and it works great.
Also, Google recently approved He said the Recorder app will be made available on older Pixel devices in a future software update. This review doesn’t specifically mention the Pixel 3 either, which leads many to believe that all Pixel devices will get the new Recorder and live transcription features.
A Few More Details
That’s all we know so far, but there is a feeling that more is on the way. Google hasn’t shared a list of every feature the older Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a devices will get, or when they’ll arrive. So while we’ve detailed some of them here, we may see more coming in the near future. Like that neat new Double Exposure control on the camera or car accident detection emergency checks. The December update added a ton of new things, but we may get more in 2020 or in March with the Android 11 beta, known as Android R.
That said, don’t expect things like Motion Sense as the phone uses a real radar chip inside that older models don’t have. Either way, while the Pixel 4 is a great phone that many people will love, you may not need to upgrade if you have a Pixel 3. And those with an older Pixel 2 might be happy to spend less on the Pixel 3a XL instead of the Pixel 4 XL.
In closing, the Pixel 4 is ready, so get yours by clicking here.
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