During the Pixel 3 series launch in October 2018, search engine giant Google showcased a nifty new Call Screen feature that enabled Google Assistant to answer calls and its main objective was to deal with telemarketing calls. It was widely appreciated by tech critics and fans alike. Since then, it has made its way to all the three-generation Pixel phones and now will soon come to other branded phones.
A Reddit user who goes by the moniker u/hkyq has stumbled across a couple of code lines (below) of a software update related to Android OS for Nokia and Motorola phones. In that, there is a mention of SpeakyEasy.CallScreen confirming Google is working with the aforementioned mobile-makers to bring the nifty call screen feature.
It looks like Google is working with just Motorola and Nokia, as they are the only two companies which offer all their devices with pure Android OS. If the call screening feature does make it to the phones, this will bring convenience for the owners to block spams.
Here's how the Google Call Screen feature works:
Once the Nokia and Motorola phones get upgraded with the new feature, the 'Call Screen' option will appear just above the 'green phone' icon and lights up during an incoming call.
After the user selects the 'Call Screen', Google Assistant will take over the call and introduces itself to the person on the other side and questions him/her about the purpose of the call.
As Google Assistant speaks to the person, a transcript of the whole conversation is displayed in texts on the screen in real-time for the benefit of the device owner. He or she, based on the information, can tag it as spam call or ask more information or press smart short reply or just press the phone icon to take over the conversation.
All the tagged calls will be red flagged if they call back again and the Android phone can just ignore or cut the call.
In a related development, Google is reportedly planning to launch mid-range phones -- Pixel 3a and the Pixel 3a XL.
the Pixel 3a is said to sport a 5.6-inch OLED screen with a 2220x1080p resolution having 440 ppi (pixels per inch) display density.
Under-the-hood, it is expected to ship with Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 chipset with 4GB RAM and a 3,000mAh battery, which is sufficient to keep the phone running for a whole day under mixed usage.
As far as the photography hardware is concerned, the Pixel 3a is said to house a 12MP primary camera on the back and an 8MP shooter on the front. With Google photography software onboard, consumers assured of getting top-notch quality shots on par with flagship phones.
However, the specification details of the Pixel 3a XL are very scarce right except for the fact that it will sport a 6.0-inch OLED display. We are expected to get information in the coming weeks.
The Pixel 3a model, which is expected to come with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage will cost around €450 at least in Europe. There is no word on the bigger Pixel 3a XL, but given the €115 price difference between the original Pixel 3 and the 3 XL models, the 3a XL like to cost €550 if not less.
