Google's Pixel phones are already known for their software updates, with upgrades and patches coming to Pixels before most other Android phones. Now Google has announced another way that it's making Pixel phones better.
Google today announced Pixel feature drops, which will see it regularly update its Pixel devices with new features. The first Pixel feature drop is coming this month, bringing with it new features and improvements for all Pixel models.
Pixel 4 owners in the U.S. are getting an automatic call screening feature that'll have the Google Assistant screen unknown callers and silently decline robocalls. When it's not a robocall, your phone will begin ringing a few moments later with some info on who is calling and why. The call screening works on your device and doesn't use Wi-Fi or data.
Also coming to Pixel 4 owners in the U.S. is better Duo video calls with auto-framing. This feature will automatically keep your face centered as you move around. And if another person joins the video call, the camera will adjust to fit you both in the frame. Also coming to the Pixel 2, 3, and 4 is the ability to apply a portrait filter to make you look sharper against the background.
Improved photo controls for the Pixel phones will let you blur the background on an image after you've taken it.
Another feature highlighted by Google is better memory management for all Pixel phones. With the update, the phone will proactively compress cached apps so that you can better run multiple apps at the same time.
Here's a list of other features coming to Pixel phones with this feature drop: