{
  "id": 672788,
  "title": "Google just repurposed the temperature-sensor on its Pro-series Pixel phones. Here’s what it does now",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/google-just-repurposed-the-temperature-sensor-on-its-pro-series-pixel",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-12T14:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91588662/google-just-repurposed-temperature-sensor-pro-series-pixel-phones-heres-what-does-now"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Google has announced that the temperature-sensor on its Pro-series Pixel phones will no longer be used, and that area is now dedicated to a new feature called HiLight. HiLight is a colorful LED that communicates information without the screen being visible. When the Pixel 11 Pro is lying face-down, HiLight can glow in different colors and patterns to notify users about incoming calls, favorite contacts, and Gemini interactions. This is a more sophisticated version of the old Android notification LED, now integrated into the Pixel 11 Pro's camera bump.",
  "summary": "For the past few years, Google has included an unusual feature on its most expensive Pro-series Pixel phones: a sensor that could detect the temperature of nearby surfaces. Widely assumed to have been a holdover from the pandemic days when we were regularly checking ourselves for signs of fever, the sensor didn’t actually work for human body temperature when it first launched. It still can’t be…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "TechCabal",
        "title": "What to expect from the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/what-to-expect-from-the-google-pixel-buds-pro-2",
        "published": "2026-08-11T10:37:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}