Expand Your Display: Seamlessly Linking Your Android Device to Monitors via USB

Apple’s WWDC announcements are dominating the news cycle. So, instead of sitting on the sidelines, Google has decided to reveal a fairly substantial Pixel Feature Drop.

The highlight of this Pixel Feature Drop, at least in my opinion, is DisplayPort functionality for Pixel smartphones. While Google isn’t introducing a desktop-like DeX interface , you can now mirror the contents of a Pixel phone to an external monitor or TV over USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode.

All Pixel devices have the hardware to support DisplayPort Alt Mode, but for some odd reason, this feature is limited to Pixel 8-series devices (including the Pixel 8a). My hope is that Google will extend the functionality to older phones in a future update.

Reverse Phone Number Lookup, which allows you to find the source of an unknown number, is also coming to currently-supported Pixel smartphones. And the “Summarize” option in the Recorder app can now label speaker names when appropriate.

Google

Additionally, Pixel 8 owners can now enable the lightweight Gemini Nano AI from developer settings (Google hasn’t explained why the average consumer would do this, so it’s probably intended for app development). And Google says that Find My Device tracking now works even when your Pixel 8 is powered off—this feature was mentioned on the Google Support website two months ago , but it may not have been implemented until today.

The Pixel Watch gets a bit of love, too, with new support for PayPal in Pixel Wallet and Google Home app support on Wear OS 3. Customers who own a Pixel Watch 2 will also gain Car Crash and Bicycle Fall detection, which can dial emergency services in the event of an accident.

As for the Pixel Tablet —well, it isn’t being completely neglected. Pixel Tablet now provides “more detailed doorbell notifications” when in hub mode. In other words, you’ll see a picture of whoever’s at your door.

This is the most impressive Pixel Feature Drop in recent memory. I have just one question—why didn’t Google announce any of this stuff at the I/O keynote a few weeks ago? Instead of sitting through over two hours of questionable AI announcements , I could’ve been cheering on as Google revealed DisplayPort functionality for Pixel phones or Bicycle Fall Detection for the Pixel Watch.

I should also point out that Google is revealing this Pixel Feature Drop one day after Apple’s WWDC event. Last month, Google announced the Pixel 8a on the same day as an Apple event—it’s as if the company is intentionally trying to sabotage its non-AI products in the news cycle.

The new Pixel Feature Drop is now rolling out to currently-supported Pixel smartphones (so, Pixel 6 and newer). Note that it may take a few days for this Feature Drop to reach your device.

Source: Google