Google has been eschewing the noble 3.5 mm port in its Pixel branded devices since the debut of the Pixel 2. Neither the Pixel 2 nor the 3 series (with the exception of the 3a) come with a headphone jack. The firm’s own Pixel Slate doesn’t offer one, and more Chromebook devices may drop that jack if rumours are to be believed. Google has been working on Fast Pair for the past year, a feature that will bring an AirPod like experience to compatible audio devices. Now the firm has shared more details on the kind of experiences users should expect when using fast pair compatible devices with Android.
- True Wireless Features. As True Wireless Stereo (TWS) headphones continue to gain momentum in the market and with users, it is important to build system-wide support for TWS. Later this year, TWS headsets with Fast Pair will be able to broadcast individual battery information for the case and buds. This enables features such as case open and close battery notifications and per-component battery reporting throughout the UI.
- Find My Device. Fast Pair devices will soon be surfaced in the Find My Device app and website, allowing users to easily track down lost devices. Headset owners can view the location and time of last use, as well as unpair or ring the buds to locate when they are in range.•
- Connected Device Details. In Android Q, Fast Pair devices will have an enhanced Bluetooth device details page to centralize management and key settings. This includes links to Find My Device, Assistant settings (if available), and additional OEM-specified settings that will link to the OEM’s companion app.
These updates will be rolling out to Android devices at some unspecified time later this year (likely coinciding with the Android Q rollout).
Source: Google