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ZDNET's key takeaways
Pixel 11 Pro models have a pulsing light indicator on the camera bump.
HiLight pulses in response to incoming calls and Gemini interactions.
Expanded functionality may be coming, but don't expect it at launch.
I remember when life was much simpler, when I could just plop my phone down and know exactly when and how to respond to it depending on the color of its teensy-weensy LED indicator.
Back in college, flashes of green meant someone on Facebook -- likely my studymates -- had sent a message to grab lunch or meet in the library. Blue meant that I had missed calls. And yellow meant that those same study mates were sending me Snapchats instead of studying.
Also: The simple phone habit change that saves your screen time (and your sanity)
Then, the power efficiency of OLED panels paved the way for always-on displays, and the need for more context on our screens meant that the LED indicators of the 2010s became insufficient -- and eventually extinct. (It didn't help that every phone manufacturer wanted to design their devices like supermodels: thin and stylish, leaving no room in the chassis for extra parts.)
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