The Pixel 5 may be released without the MotionSense feature that could mean the Soli Radar chip will also be axed.
Google is in a pickle because the hardware sales of the company have been on a constant downtrend since the first Pixel. The company started out its MadebyGoogle lineup strongly a couple of years back, but it now is playing a long catch up game with its contemporaries in Samsung and Apple.
The make or break for the company is its Google Pixel 4A and 4A XL lineup. Should the company do well in this mid-tier line-up, they can expect fans to come flocking back in their fold. Unfortunately, the margin for error is very slim considering the performance of its competitors such as the iPhone SE and the Samsung Galaxy A lineup.
Nevertheless, rumors are still spreading about the next iteration of the Pixel, which is Pixel 5.
MotionSense and the Google PIxel
One of the unique selling points that Google promoted was the MotionSense capability of the phone. This feature allows users to control the phone without actually touching the screen. The gesture-based feature makes snoozing the alarm, skipping music, and declining calls a breeze.
Good morning, good evening and good news, #TeamPixel. Your Pixel background can now automatically change from light to dark with the sunset. Find out how to set it up: https://t.co/qYOsCIxYdz pic.twitter.com/OYJ27hf1e5
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) March 6, 2020
Unfortunately, the feature is not as useful or unique as it was marketed. In fact, the MotionSense is not even actually unique to the Pixel. Earlier Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones had the same functionality, albeit not as powerful as the MotionSense. Samsung Galaxy users dismissed the feature as gimmicky then. Until now, the MotionSense is still just a gimmick for many.
The idea on paper is cool and innovative, but the actual application left users scratching their heads because of glitches. Therefore, Google might completely do away with the MotionSense in Pixel 5.
MotionSense and the Soli Radar chip will be axed
The Soli Radar chip is the hardware responsible for making the MotionSense a possibility. Since the feature in the paper isn’t as good in actual implementation, Google might as well remove the feature for future phones.
Removing the Soli Radar chip would also mean that Google will be able to sell soon to more markets. It can be recalled that Google was banned from selling the Pixel 4 in the Indian market because the frequency emitted by the Soli Radar chip was illegal.
The short-lived existence of the feature may make more sense than keeping it considering that the Indian market is one of the biggest smartphone markets in the world
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