Google announced the Pixel Fold on May 10. But three months later we’re still discovering new features.
Google has hidden an unexpected special feature inside its first foldable Pixel phone. This appears as a spatial audio support.
Spatial audio support is also available inside the Google Pixel Fold
If you’re starting to wonder what is spatial audio support right now, we’re not talking about experiencing spatial audio through headphones that primarily support it. In fact, this feature means that the Google Pixel Fold’s stereo speakers support spatial audio without requiring any external units.
This unexpected pleasant surprise was discovered by a user named SageSushi on Telegram and shared on the X platform by Android expert Mishaal Rahman. In fact, the Pixel Fold’s support page states that the Pixel Fold’s speakers support spatial audio, and says this feature is exclusive to the book-like Pixel foldable.
What do I need to do to turn on the Spatial Sound Feature?
It only takes three simple steps to turn the feature on or off:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Tap Sound & vibration > Spatial sound.
- Turn the speakerphone on/off.
Now you can enjoy spatial sound on your Pixel Fold. Being able to do this without even needing any headphones is a great advantage. Those who tested the phone found that during their time with the phone, they were quite satisfied with the sound quality and that the sounds coming out of the speakers were impressively loud, rich and full.
What is spatial sound?
The best way to understand spatial sound is to think of it as a simulation of sound that makes your brain believe that everything your ears hear is coming from all directions, rather than just from the direction of the screen. This is what you might call the virtual reality / augmented reality (VR/AR) equivalent that targets your hearing instead of sight.
Some headphones that support spatial audio also have head tracking capabilities that can shift the sound based on your head movements. This makes everything feel more realistic.