Google's upcoming Pixel 4 smartphone will bear the burden of being on-hold during a call so that you don't have to, according to 9to5Google, citing a "reliable source."
Soon, you'll supposedly be able to tap a button to tell the Pixel 4 that you're on hold. Google Assistant's AI smarts will then recognize the difference between a human voice and the ear-piercing low-quality music businesses often use to keep you "entertained" when they place you on hold.
It's still unclear how the feature will work — whether you'll be able to put the Pixel 4 down while you're on hold or whether you still need to be attentive and wait for the business representative to get on the phone. It's also uncertain how the Pixel 4 would let you know when a real live customer service representative gets on the phone after putting you on hold.
Some call-hold recordings have human voice messages, which often hint how the thing you're calling about can be done online. It'll be interesting to see if Google's AI can recognize the difference between a voice recording and a live human person.
And while some businesses have adopted the call-back system — which lets you hang up the phone and keeps your place in line to speak with a representative, then get a call back when your turn is up — it's still relatively new, and not all businesses have adopted the system. The Pixel 4's call-hold feature may help in the meantime.
The feature is still in early development and is unlikely to launch at the same time as the Pixel 4's launch, 9to5Google reports. Google is expected to announce the Pixel 4 in October, when the company usually announces its Pixel smartphones.
