Google Pixel 10 Will Bring Back This Handy IPhone Display Feature

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Summary

Google plans to add a True Tone-like feature to the Pixel 10.
It will supposedly use a new ambient light and color sensor to achieve this.
The feature will automatically tweak the display’s color temperature based on the ambient lighting.

Apple’s True Tone feature on iPhones, iPads, and Macs automatically adjusts the display’s color temperature based on the ambient lighting to reduce eye strain. Google introduced a similar feature called Ambient EQ with the Pixel 4 in 2019, but removed it the following year for good. Now, the company appears poised to bring back this functionality with the Pixel 10 lineup this year.

A Pixel 9 Pro sitting face-up on top of puzzle pieces.

Google currently only offers a True Tone-like feature called “Adaptive tone” on the Pixel Tablet. An Android Authority report claims the company will expand the functionality to its Pixel 10 lineup this year under the same name. Similar to True Tone on iPhones, the feature will automatically adjust the Pixel 10’s display color temperature based on ambient light, making it appear cooler or warmer.

To achieve this, the company will seemingly use a new ambient light and color sensor: the ams TMD3743. Since the feature will require an updated sensor to function, it won’t arrive on older Pixels. The report also mentions the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will miss out on Adaptive tone, as it will presumably stick to the same old ambient sensor.

Samsung is the only major Android manufacturer to offer a True Tone-like feature on its recent flagship Galaxy phones. If anything, Google adding this feature to the Pixel 10 will likely compel other device manufacturers to follow suit.

Adaptive tone might not be for everyone

If you plan to use the Pixel 10 to take a lot of pictures and care about color accuracy, you might want to turn off the feature as soon as you set up the phone. Adaptive tone can alter the display’s color temperature, affecting how your images appear. This can also be problematic if you edit pictures directly on your Pixel.

Google switched to using top-notch OLED screens on its Pixel phones with the Pixel 8 in 2023. The Pixel 9 lineup continued that trend, going head-to-head with the iPhone 16 and Samsung Galaxy S25 in terms of peak brightness and overall display quality. Google now seems keen to build on that foundation by adding a True Tone-like feature to its upcoming Pixels.