Google is getting ready to launch its new Pixel 4 smartphone sometime in early October and a new leak suggests it’ll have an intriguing new feature.
Rather than spend hours waiting on hold with annoying music drilling into your ear, you’ll be able to let the phone do it.
Specifically, Google’s virtual assistant that gets baked in to all the Pixel devices will take over the waiting game for you.
According to a ‘reliable source familiar with the company’s plans’ who spoke to 9to5Google, Pixel 4 owners will be able to tap a button on the display when placed on hold and have the Google Assistant take over. When it detects that a human voice has come back on the line, it’ll notify its owner who has likely spent that time doing something much more productive.
The feature is believed to be called ‘Hold My Phone’ and, if true, could be a really, really useful addition. Anyone that’s spent any time trying to organise household bills will appreciate the help.
‘Exact details of how it works is unclear for now, and we’re told the feature is still relatively early in development, so it’s likely that some aspects could change before launch,’ wrote 9to5Google.
Because the feature would be software-based, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be retroactively added to older Pixel phones and other Android devices. So while Google may use this as a sales tactic for flogging the upcoming Pixel 4, patient types may not need to upgrade straight away.
We don’t know exactly when Google will unveil the Pixel 4, but the Pixel 3 was announced on October 9, 2018 – so we’d expect a similar date this year.