The iPhone 17 series is now official and it’s making me wish that Google Pixel phones had this excellent Apple feature.
While the new Air model is interesting, and will no doubt inspire a lot more ‘ultra thin’ phones going forward – even though Samsung got there first with the S25 Edge – I’m talking about something more subtle.
It’s not even a brand-new feature, as the iPhone 16 series and iPhone 15 Pro models have it too: the Action Button.
Apple
I’ve been testing and using Pixel phones since they were first introduced, but for some reason, the Pixel 10 has got me really wanting an extra button. I really enjoyed it on the iPhone 16 and didn’t miss the mute switch much at all.
Perhaps it’s the overhauled Material 3 Expressive design of Android 16 on the Pixel 10 that’s the cause, but I’m really longing for more physical control. Apple can keep its Camera Control button, at least in its iPhone 16 iteration, but I want a fast-action button that lets me perform a function quicker than the current options.
Double-tapping the power button to launch the camera is handy and it can be customised but only to Google Wallet and nothing else. Another button that I could customise would be a real boon. Even just to toggle the torch would be lovely, or to launch a frequently used app that I could change depending on what I’m doing that day.
Android phones, over the years, have occasionally had these extra buttons – but often for something specific, like Samsung’s Bixby assistant – without the ability to program it to what you want.
What about Quick Tap?
The more knowledgeable of you out there will probably be screaming “Quick Tap!” at your device right now. Sure, Quick Tap does offer the ability to launch the torch, an app or various other things but I hate it.
It requires tapping the back of the phone with a finger and every time I’ve switched it on in the past, it’s triggered far too easily in day-to-day use – even with the stronger taps option on.
Whether Google will add an equivalent to the Action Button with the Pixel 11 or even the Pixel 10a remains to be seen. There are no rumours to suggest so, but if anyone at Google is reading this: please take note.
