The Google Pixel 8 and older Pixels are getting some of the Galaxy AI capabilities of the Galaxy S24 as part of the January Feature Drop update.

For example, Circle to Search will soon be available on the Pixel 8 series as well as the Galaxy S24 series. This is a feature that allows users to quickly search by holding down the home button or gesture bar and drawing around what they want to look up. We already knew this would be coming to the Pixel 8 on January 31 (the launch date of the Galaxy S24), but it's nice to get a more concrete idea of how this update will appear.

Feature Drop will also add a feature called Magic Compose to the Pixel 6 series and beyond to help users write and rewrite message replies in different styles. This seems to be basically the same as the Galaxy S24's Chat Assist, and the two features seem to have similar presets, including formal, more social/emoji, and definitely not annoying Shakespearean modes.

There are a few other features in this Pixel feature drop that were announced before the Galaxy S24 was introduced and are currently on Google Pixel devices. One is Photomoji, which, as the name suggests, allows users to turn their own images into emoji reactions. Selecting the subject of the image now provides the option to save it as a reaction for future use in Google Messages or to use someone else's Photomoji if you are in a group chat.

Finally, the most unique feature of the Pixel 8 Pro is an upgrade to the Thermometer app: as promised at the October 2023 launch event, the Pixel 8 Pro's temperature sensor can now be used to scan your own and others' foreheads to measure body temperature. This also works with the Fitbit app to record results and easily monitor changes over time.

All of this is in addition to the new features of Google's Pixel, which was announced last month. These include a revamped Quick Share sharing system for exchanging files between Android, ChromeOS, and Windows devices, and Audio Switch support for the Pixel Watch, allowing Pixel Buds Pro users to hear from their wearable Pixel Buds Pro users can easily start listening to the sound coming from their wearables.

There is also a hardware component to Google's announcement, as the company unveiled a new color for the Pixel 8 series, Mint (pale green), giving users a total of four colors to choose from for both models. Although we have not seen the actual color yet, it looks quite nice, striking a balance between fun and sensible.

The Pixel 8a will be available this summer and the Pixel 9 this fall, but the Pixel 8 series and its predecessors tend to get a Feature Drop every few months, so we'll keep you updated in the meantime. And since Google has promised seven years of updates for the Pixel 8, these Feature Drops will continue to happen.