5 issues I will miss probably the most after I ditch my Google Pixel cellphone

Regardless of my refusal to get one other Pixel cellphone anytime quickly, there are positively some Pixel-exclusive options I’ll miss after I change to my subsequent smartphone. Name Screening and different name options don’t make my listing, as these capabilities aren’t out there in unsupported markets. However, right here’s what I’ll be pining for after I improve.

That is positively considered one of my favourite issues concerning the Pixel line, as these telephones had been typically the primary to get brand-new Android variations. For instance, Google launched Android 16 on June 10, and Pixel handsets acquired it on the identical day. Samsung, Xiaomi, and different producers have but to launch Android 16 to their telephones.

After all, Google has the benefit of proudly owning the platform and the {hardware}, so it’s just a little unreasonable to anticipate different producers to be as fast on the draw. I’d additionally argue that Android model updates haven’t had many genuinely game-changing options, whereas many new options are launched by way of Google Play Companies as an alternative. However, I’ll all the time recognize being forward of the pack relating to steady software program releases.

Google has supplied Now Enjoying performance on its Pixels for years now. This makes use of on-device machine studying to determine the music taking part in in your atmosphere, after which shows the observe data in your lock display. You possibly can even entry your Now Enjoying historical past to get a log of songs that had been acknowledged by your cellphone.

I nonetheless suppose it’s the most effective Pixel options in any case this time, and I actually want extra manufacturers adopted comparable on-device smarts. At the least the developer neighborhood has stepped in with the Ambient Music Mod so I can technically get this on my non-Pixel cellphone, albeit with some tinkering.

Maybe the most important purpose why I purchased a Pixel cellphone within the first place was the digicam high quality. In comparison with most of its rivals on the time, I believed the Pixel 7 Professional typically took great-looking photographs that also seemed fairly pure. Actually, I nonetheless discover myself taking some good snaps with this cellphone in 2025.

Don’t get me mistaken, although. Rival producers like Xiaomi, vivo, and OPPO arguably have higher digicam {hardware} than Pixel telephones. And a few of these digicam telephones take considerably higher footage in low-light situations or when zooming in. However it says loads that I’ll typically shoot a scene or take a selfie with my outdated Pixel as an alternative of a more moderen flagship.

A voice recorder that robotically transcribes speech with out an web connection? It sounds pedestrian in 2025, however Google’s Recorder app blew my thoughts after I used the Pixel 4 again in 2019. Actually, I nonetheless use this app as we speak when conducting interviews, and I proceed to think about it the most effective Pixel options.

Rival manufacturers have lengthy supplied voice recorder apps with transcription performance. Nonetheless, most of those apps lacked on-device transcription on the time, which is what made Google’s app really particular. A few of these apps have since gained offline smarts, however Google Recorder nonetheless stands out due to seamless cloud backup, web-based entry (recorder.google.com), and regionally generated summaries. I’ll miss the official, preloaded model on my Pixel, however I’ll positively sideload this app on my subsequent cellphone.

One Pixel function that flew below my radar earlier than I purchased the Pixel 7 Professional was the recents/multitasking menu. That is one other function I grew to like, and I’ll actually miss it after I ultimately change to a different cellphone.

Pixel units have supplied a supercharged recents menu for generations now. Merely enter the recents menu and also you’ll see the Screenshot and Choose buttons under the app home windows. Faucet Screenshot to shortly take a screenshot of an app, whereas the Choose button permits you to spotlight and choose textual content. It’s also possible to faucet and maintain on textual content to spotlight it with out truly utilizing the Choose button. In any occasion, I discovered the latter button extremely helpful for copying textual content in pictures or for textual content that merely can’t be chosen for some purpose. ASUS has come shut with its personal multitasking menu, nevertheless it nonetheless doesn’t fairly scratch the identical itch.