A fresh Android 17 beta launch means folks are tearing into the code, looking for potentially new and exciting features that Google is working on. After lifting the hood on Android 17 Beta 4, which released only yesterday, we’re learning of Pixel Glow and the potential for a new laptop from Google.
As shown in the beta, Pixel Glow would be a lighting feature utilized when your phone is placed screen-side down on a surface. We’ve seen similar features from companies like Nothing. As described in the settings for Pixel Glow, when enabled, it reads as follows:
Stay in the moment without losing touch. [Pixel Glow] uses subtle light and color on the back of your device to inform you of important activity when it’s face down.
We have seen renders for the Pixel 11 series, and from what we can tell, there is no new light system being incorporated. However, those are 3rd-party renders and aren’t official. Google could be working something new into the existing camera bar or even the Google logo itself, which would be a very nice touch.
Pixel Glow could also be active when interacting with Gemini. Additional text in the settings reads, “Speaking with Gemini: Hands-free interactions using visual feedback.”
New Google Laptop: Pixel Glow code also details support for an unnamed laptop. Specifically, the code checks to see what type of device it is running on, a phone or laptop. This could mean we could see Google launch a laptop device in the future that offers the Pixel Glow feature.
Nothing else is really known at this point, but Google I/O is coming up soon, so we could be learning quite a bit more. Or we’ll have to wait for the next Pixel launch later this year.
Either way, this is exciting.
// 9to5Google
