Kadir Can AkıncıAccording to a recent patent application submitted by Google to World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), they are developing a novel feature called “flight mode” for smartphones, this feature aims to automatically detect when a user is on an airplane and activate the corresponding airplane mode.
Flight mode: Activating the airplane mode automatically
Google’s brand new feature works when the phone detects that the user is on a plane, it will deactivate all the wireless networks, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Although Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned off by default, users have the option to manually enable them while the airplane mode is still active. This allows users to use wireless Bluetooth devices and connect to the internet through Wi-Fi while on they’re still on plane.
We don’t know how Google’s new feature works exactly but we expect that the feature will make use of internal phone sensors like accelerometer and barometer. It is worth noting that while many Chinese phones currently available in the market do not include a barometer sensor, Pixel phones have consistently been equipped with a comprehensive set of sensors. Pixel 8 Pro is on the other hand rumored to come with a “temperature sensor“.
What are your thoughts on phones automatically detecting when you’re on a plane? Please share your opinions in the comments.
