Google Pixel 3 to retain the squeezable Active Edge feature

Google Pixel 3 is yet to be announced officially, but that doesn't stop leaks and reports from pouring in rapidly. According to a new report from XA Developers, the Pixel 3 and 3 XL will retain the squeezable Active Edge found on their precursors.

According to XDA Developers forum member meraz9000, he accidentally soft-bricked the smartphone. Before that, he claims that the device vibrated when the edges were squeezed determining the presence of the Active Edge.

XDA Developers also looked at the Android P developer preview to find out that the "WakeMode" class within the SystemUIGoogle APK was modified. It then led to "isWakeSettingEnabled" method, where Crosshatch and Blueline were found in the list of compatible devices. These are the alleged codenames for the upcoming Pixel smartphones.

The Active Edge feature was first seen on the Pixel 2 smartphones and allowed to launch the Google Assistant when squeezed. Users could also silence the incoming calls with the same gesture which comes in handy once the users get used to it.

There' no certainty that the Active Edge will make its return. However, the evidence seems to hint at the second appearance. Currently, the claims are based on the engineering prototype and incomplete software. There could be a possibility that the company scraps the feature before the final product is launched.

That being said, it would make more sense if the feature comes to Pixel 3 with better functionality and freedom to assign it to other features. For instance, Edge Sense on the HTC U12 Plus can sense where users fingers are placed and allows for additional functionality. Perhaps Google could make introduce similar enhancements and even allow some customization.

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Previous reports claim that the bigger model will have a notch but the smaller variant won't. Two images of the Pixel 3 XL also surfaced online, revealing the device in full glory. The alleged smartphone is similar to its precursor in terms of design, with the only difference being the fingerprint sensor placed between the camera and LED flash. As reported earlier, the company seems to have only one camera on the rear, and not follow the trend of dual camera setups, let alone the triple camera setups.