Google appears to be making a hardware decision with the Pixel 11 Pro that has raised eyebrows among the device’s most loyal users: removing the infrared thermometer sensor that has been a defining feature of Pixel Pro phones since the Pixel 8 Pro in 2023, and replacing the space it once occupied with a ring of RGB LED lights around the camera bar. The information comes from a major Telegram leak attributed to tipster Mystic Leaks, which also points to meaningful internal upgrades including Google’s next-generation Tensor G6 chipset, a new modem for improved connectivity, and a refreshed Tensor Processing Unit for artificial intelligence tasks, as well as new camera sensors across the lineup after several years without a hardware lens upgrade.
The thermometer feature being removed is no small thing in the context of what Pixel Pro phones have offered. Introduced on the Pixel 8 Pro, the dedicated infrared sensor powers a Thermometer application capable of measuring the temperature of a remarkably wide range of objects including foods, liquids, and surfaces, and in supported markets including the United Kingdom and the United States it can also measure body temperature with Food and Drug Administration clearance confirming its medical-grade accuracy. The body temperature mode uses an automated voice guide to direct users to hold the sensor near the forehead and rotate it toward a temple, delivering results that testing has shown to be consistently within 0.2 degrees Celsius of conventional thermometer readings when used within the recommended five centimetre distance. Beyond personal health use, the sensor has practical everyday applications ranging from checking whether a pan is sufficiently hot before cooking to monitoring windows for draughts and keeping a less invasive eye on the temperature of young children, with dedicated modes for infants up to three months and toddlers up to three years old.
What makes the removal more difficult to accept is the nature of what is reportedly replacing it. The Pixel Glow feature, expected to surround the camera bar with RGB light-emitting diodes, is a concept already seen on Nothing smartphones through their Glyph interface, and those who have spent time with Nothing devices have found the lights to be a superficially appealing idea that quickly becomes more distracting than useful in day-to-day use. The infrared sensor that would be displaced is physically small and occupies minimal space on the device’s rear panel, making the trade-off difficult to justify on engineering grounds. The Pixel 11 series is nonetheless expected to be a meaningful generational step forward compared to the incremental updates of recent cycles, aided in part by new camera hardware that could finally return Pixel flagships to a more competitive position in smartphone photography after a period of heavy reliance on software-side artificial intelligence features to compensate for ageing lens hardware.
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