The Pixel 7a has that “adaptive alert vibration” feature that I spotted back in December in the Android 13 QPR2 beta for the Pixel 6a. This option “reduces [the] vibration strength while your phone is still and the screen is facing up.”
Screenshots: Android Police https://t.co/HiEAZRpbLvpic.twitter.com/BrmfytxNAb
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) May 12, 2023
The hallmark of this feature is that it reduces strength of the device’s vibration when the phone is sitting still and the screen is facing up, suggesting that it isn’t being actively used. Currently, in addition to having the option to turn vibration alerts on or off, Pixel users have the option to adjust the intensity level of said alerts but that is unfortunately restricted to four different levels.
It is unclear why this feature is only available on the 7a and not on the Pixel 7 or 7 Pro. It stands to reason that it relies on the device’s accelerometer and employs some AI magic to determine the state of the device at the time, so it’s hard to imagine that the only device that can support it is the latest mid-ranger.
However, it won’t be the first time that Google releases a new feature as a new device exclusive that lasts only a few months before it rolls out to other Pixel devices. Such has been the case with many other Pixel-exclusive features that in some cases have even made their way to non-Pixel devices, such as Magic Eraser. Regardless, it’s good to see Google continue to use their computational prowess to come up with features that improve quality of life, and in this case, battery life.
