GoKawiilDhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
When Google introduced an infrared thermometer on the Pixel 8 Pro, the reaction from the tech world, and me, was pretty dismissive. It felt like a strange, pandemic-era feature that arrived two years too late, squeezed into the phone for no reason other than “why not.” Now, with the Pixel 11 series, Google has quietly killed the temperature sensor, dropping it from its flagship hardware. Replacing it is Google’s new HiLight notification light, which someone might call equally gimmicky in implementation. But I digress.
It is easy to dismiss a smartphone thermometer as a useless gimmick. The space could have been better used for an IR blaster, a larger camera sensor, or even a bigger battery. But as someone who inadvertently ended up using it far more than I expected, I’m surprised to say I’m genuinely sad to see it go.
The Pixel thermometer was strange, for sure, but it was also one of the few recent phone features that solved real everyday problems in a way that software never can. As a fan of quirky hardware additions, I wish Google had kept it around.
Do you like Google's weird Pixel hardware experiments? 32 votes Yes, they add personality to the phone. 34 % Yes, but only if they are useful. 38 % I don't really care. 16 % No, they add unnecesary cost to the hardware. 13 %
A gimmick on paper, useful in practice
Dhruv Bhutani / Android Authority
I’ll be honest here – when the feature first arrived, Google did not exactly help its case. Early software builds required way too much user input to work. You’d have to select a material, such as plastic, metal, or fabric, to accurately calibrate the readings before taking a measurement. Moreover, human body temperature measurement simply didn’t work at launch because the feature shipped without regulatory approval.
I remember my first demo at Google’s office was quite literally checking how hot my coffee was. Cool. But I don’t need a thermometer for that. However, once Google got approval to use it for body temperature readings, the thermometer found a more practical purpose. Very specifically, I recall feeling low on energy while traveling and using the Pixel 10 Pro’s built-in thermometer to check my temperature. It wasn’t a life-and-death situation, but that one single moment convinced me that perhaps the feature wasn’t quite as gimmicky as I thought it was.
The Pixel thermometer was a weird addition, but when I needed it, having one in my pocket was incredibly useful.
... continue reading