We may not have long to wait until the Pixel 10 launch event on August 20, but Google has already released a first look teaser at one of the upcoming phones — seemingly the Pixel 10 Pro. For the most part this phone looks pretty much the same as the Pixel 9 Pro, and that's a problem for me.
Not that I have a particular dislike of the Pixel 9 design, quite the opposite. But for the fact that the phone still seems to have a temperature sensor alongside the camera. And that's a feature that should have been scrapped by now. If only because it's a gimmick that has overstayed its welcome.
A gimmick that was already tired when it first arrived
The Pixel temperature sensor is a feature that could have been useful, had it appeared three years earlier than it did. The Pixel 5 was released towards the end of 2020, back before COVID-19 vaccines were available and the virus was still a significantly bigger threat than it is today.
Those of you that remember that time will likely remember having your temperature taken at one place or another. In a store, at an event, arriving at work, you name it. At that point a smartphone with a built in temperature sensor, especially one approved for medical use on humans, could have been a very big deal. Unfortunately the Pixel temperature sensor arrived on the Pixel 8 Pro in 2023.
It's almost as though Google saw how useful such a feature could have been, and started work on it for a future phone. It's just unfortunate that by the end of 2023, the threat of COVID-19 has dropped significantly. Vaccines were available, lockdowns had ended, and while it never really went away, a lot of people had stopped worrying about the disease by that point.
To make matters worse, the feature didn't even have FDA approval when the phone was released — that didn't happen until December, two months after release.
Had the temperature sensor come bundled in on the Pixel 6 Pro, or even the Pixel 7 Pro, it could have proven its worth a little more than it already has. But the Pixel 8 Pro was released far too late. By late 2023, the need for such a feature was long gone.
I've been using a Pixel 9 Pro, which also has a temperature sensor on the back, for almost a year now and I've found little need for a temperature sensor. Aside from some testing, and comparing the sensor to a thermal camera add-on, I'm not sure I've ever even used it. Aside from using food, I just don't have any need to regularly check the temperature of people or things.
Maybe food, but I sure as heck am not sticking my phone into a partially cooked meal to see how much more time it needs.
Scrap the temperature sensor and focus on other things
While the Pixel 10 Pro is only the third time the temperature sensor has been included on a Google phone, I can't help but think it's overstayed its welcome.
Maybe I'm just the wrong target audience for it, but I feel like anyone who desperately needs to measure temperatures would probably just buy a dedicated thermometer — especially if it was for use with humans.
The way I see it, the temperature sensor feels like a waste of money and resources — and Google would be better off utilizing the effort elsewhere. Whether that's for adding new AI features, improving staples like camera quality and battery life, or with some new piece of hardware that has better potential for success.
Considering we've seen multiple Pixel price hikes in the past few years, it's strange that Google hasn't tried to trim the fat and cut costs. The lower price tag was one of the key selling points of buying a Google phone, even if Pixels weren't nearly as affordable as the old Nexus lineup.
There are plenty of other benefits, like the exclusive features and first access to Android updates, but we can't ignore the fact that the ever-increasing cost of Pixel phones makes them a lot less appealing.
If Google can save a little bit of money, by scrapping a feature that it really doesn't need to keep pursuing, and pass that saving onto the customers, it would be of benefit to everyone. But that hasn't happened, and I suspect it won't happen until we get another significant redesign to the flagship Pixel hardware.
Considering the Pixel 9 series was a major deviation from the previous 3 generations, I can't see that happening anytime soon.
Bottom line
There is a reason why Google has kept the temperature sensor around on Pixel phones, even if it doesn't seem like a particularly logical choice. We just don't know what that reason is, and so far Google hasn't been quick to volunteer an answer.
Still, I can't help but feel like the temperature sensor is the kind of feature that should have been scrapped already. Like the Pixel 4's Motion Sense gesture recognition feature, it should have been a one and done piece of hardware. Because it's just not the kind of thing anyone needs to have on their phone, especially now that we're not trying to dodge exposure to a deadly virus on a daily basis.
But hey, I guess I'll just have to continue not using the temperature sensor and hope that Google realizes the Pixel 11 could probably go without. At the very least I'm happy to hear rumors that the Pixel 10 could finally offer Qi2 magnetic charging, under the name "PixelSnap."
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