From our in-depth Google Pixel 9 review, we’re mostly very impressed with Google’s flagship phone, but we still keep discovering new features the handset has to offer – including the Adaptive Touch technology on the display.
As Android Authority spotted, there’s a new entry for adaptive touch in the Touch Sensitivity menu in the Display section of Settings. When the feature is enabled, “the touchscreen’s sensitivity automatically adjusts based on your surroundings, activities, and screen protector,” the official description says.
And that pretty much sums it up: Adaptive Touch makes it easier to use the display when you have wet fingers, a screen protector on it, or you’re wearing gloves, for example. It looks like the feature is enabled by default on the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Back in March, there was a rumor that Adaptive Touch was on the way for the Pixel 9 handsets, as there was code hidden in a beta version of Android 14. Now, the code appears to be live and enabled.
More to follow
Google hasn’t said anything official about Adaptive Touch yet, but that’s perhaps not surprising: At its Made by Google 2024 event a few weeks ago, where it unveiled the Pixel 9 line, the company had a ton of information ready.
It seems the feature will require some sort of hardware support, as there’s no sign of Adaptive Touch on the older Google Pixel 8 phones. If you think this will be useful to you, you’ll have to consider upgrading to the 2024 phones – the Pixel 9 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,349.
This isn’t the first discovery of an unannounced feature on these devices either. We’ve already noticed that the Pixel 9 phones have improved the upgrade process (something Google has now commented on), and the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold also has a major upgrade in terms of hardware security.
While these improvements weren’t officially announced at the Pixel 9’s launch, they add to the phones’ appeal – and of course, Google has spent a lot of time talking about other new features, including a number of AI tricks.
You might also like
