Thanks to some digging by the folks at XDA, a feature made popular by Samsung may be headed to the Google Pixel 2.
Code found in the latest Android O Developer Preview 3 suggests Google may introduce an always-on display setting in its next flagship. The feature is designed to provide users with an easy way to glance at information without first waking their device up.
Motorola was the first to take the idea mainstream when it introduced Active Display with its Moto X, but companies such as Samsung and LG went even further by keeping information on the display at all times—thus the name “Always-On Display.”
Google has a similar feature known as Ambient Display, which we saw in the ill-fated Nexus line. But that feature only displays information after a user engages with their device. For example, if you lift your phone or double-tap the display.
The differences between an ambient display and always-on display doesn’t sound all that different but the always-on display feature is a little more convenient because the info is there to see even when a phone isn’t being interacted with. In the Galaxy S8, you can see information like the time, calendar, and notifications without unlocking or turning the display on.
The feature found in the latest Android O Developer Preview can’t be accessed yet, according to XDA, but references to the feature suggest Google may introduce it in the future.
Google is rumored to introduce a revamped Google Pixel this fall, which may include an edge-to-edge display, improved camera, and the latest version of Android. Meanwhile, the search giant is expected to release the final version of Android O before the summer is over.
