Google's Soli sensor has been featured in the latest version of the tech giant's Nest Learning Thermostat, again suggesting that the sensor may not be coming to mobile anytime soon.
Google's Advanced Technology Project (ATAP) team unveiled this incredible technology through a promotional video back in 2015, teasing its potential use in smartwatches (although it has yet to debut on the Pixel Watch). The sensor detects gestures and movements through low-energy radar waves, but it doesn't use the camera or collect any identifiable images of people.
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Soli was recently featured on Google's Nest Learning Thermostat, and the device (now in its fourth generation) uses Soli through Dynamic Farsight, which displays weather-related information like air quality when it senses that you're nearby.
This isn't the first smart home device to feature Soli: the technology was featured in the Nest Thermostat's Motion Sense when it launched in 2020. Google also added Soli-powered features to the second-generation Google Nest Hub, allowing users to activate quick gestures that allow them to pause a video or dismiss an alarm without touching the screen or using voice commands.
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Neither smart home device is the first to use Soli; Soli was introduced with the release of the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL. It was the first time a mobile device had Motion Sense with Soli. The device detects if someone is near the device and wakes up the always-on display at the right time. Motion Sense also allows users to wave their hand in front of the device to skip songs, silence phone calls, and unlock the phone when they pick it up.
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The excitement around Soli didn't last long. The Pixel 4 remains the only smartphone in Google's product line that employs Motion Sense. The tech giant has released more than 10 smartphones since the launch of the Pixel 4 in October 2019, and has discontinued support for the series. The series received its last update, Android 13, in October 2022.
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There could be various reasons why subsequent Pixel devices might not have Soli and Motion Sense: Motion Sense didn't work well on the Pixel 4 series, and Google rolled out an update to address the issue, but it didn't fix the problem.
Even if the company can iron out all the issues related to Motion Sense, it may not be able to overcome the regulatory issues that come with the feature: When Google launched the Pixel 4 series in global markets in 2019, India was left out due to a lack of government approval.
Soli's functionality relied on the 60GHz spectrum, which Google was unable to secure in India. Spectrum refers to the radio frequencies that transmit radio signals over a network. Spectrum is allocated to different applications for different purposes.
In the United States, the 60 GHz band is available for unlicensed commercial use. The Federal Communications Commission made the mmWave spectrum (57 GHz to 64 GHz band) unlicensed in 1994. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and several European countries are also on this list. India is one of the few countries that is not included. In India, the 60 GHz band is not permitted for commercial use and is reserved for government and military use.
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Google is expected to unveil its latest smartphone lineup at its Made By Google event in August 2024. Rumors have hinted at some features and specifications, but no mention of the use of Soli. Time will tell if Google will use Soli radar in future versions of the smartphone. Meanwhile, the fourth-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, the first in about nine years since its predecessor, will be launched on August 20, 2024. According to Google's website, the product will be available in Canada and the United States (excluding Puerto Rico).