What you need to know
- A new video has surfaced online of someone using the Pixel 8 Pro.
- The video demonstrates using the temperature sensor on the back of the phone.
- Users will have to move the phone across their forehead to take a temperature reading.
While the Pixel 8 was absent from Google I/O 2023, a leaked video shows the device in action, seemingly confirming the design while also giving us a look at the new sensor included on the back of the phone.
The video was posted by 91mobiles (it has since been taken down) and shows a woman using what appears to be the Pixel 8 Pro. The video starts by showing a screen for taking a body temperature reading, prompting the user to locate the sensor on the back of the phone. The sensor is located next to the cameras and below the LED flash unit.
This sensor was first pointed out when the Pixel 8 Pro renders were revealed, and now we finally know what it does.
From there, the user is told to remove any accessories or hair blocking their forehead and temple, then prompted to place the sensor as close to their head as possible without touching it. Once the user presses the button to commence the reading, they move the phone across their forehead within a 4-second time frame, ending at their temple. The phone chimes once the reading is completed.
You can see from the front and side profile of the phone that the display is flat, per early rumors. The design is also pretty identical to the renders that were revealed earlier this year, showing all three camera lenses in the rear visor cutout.
The inclusion of a temperature sensor is a curious one, though, as this is a feature that has appeared on more wearables lately. For example, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Oura Ring both utilize their temperature sensors for cycle tracking, while the latter also uses it to provide users with a more holistic view of their health.
It's not entirely clear why Google is sticking a temperature sensor on its phone (as opposed to on the Pixel Watch successor) or what uses it may have in the overall scheme of things. The phone is expected to launch later this year, likely in October, so we likely have to wait for some time to get the full picture.
