VIDEO: ARE SQUEEZABLE SMARTPHONES A THING OF THE FUTURE?

HTC launched the U11 a couple of months ago and apart from the high-end specifications, the smartphone's marketing was centred around a unique feature called 'Edge Sense'.

The HTC U11 has grip sensors on both sides that recognize when the phone is squeezed. The feature is highly customizable and you can set it to launch apps like the camera, Google Assistant, or any other app of your choice. You can also set it to perform actions like taking a screenshot, toggling the flashlight, start voice recording, turn a WiFi hotspot on or off. Edge Sense has been updated to perform the pinch-to-zoom actions in apps like Photos, Calendar or Google Maps – as you can see in the video below – as well as answering and ending phone calls. 

The only thing users need to bear in mind with the Edge Sense is that squeezing the phone in some apps might not work, while elsewhere it does the action you have preset. Users will also need to fine-tune the pressure sensitivity. Rumours around the Google Pixel 2's reported squeeze feature suggest it will be similar to the HTC U11's implementation and it will supposedly launch the Google Assistant when squeezed. 

Watch the video below to find out more about the squeezable feature that is Edge Sense.