Forgotten Google feature poised to make a comeback according to FCC listing

A mysterious Google device with Soli Radar has been spotted in an FCC filing. Is this a thermostat or a wearable gadget?

An upcoming device has just been spotted on FCC listings. Though the details about this “wireless device” from Google are scarce, it possibly houses a Soli Radar – a tech that Google has put on the back burner.

The filing for A4R-GJQ8U includes test results and various documentation related to the wireless connections of this device.

According to the filing, this device features 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a “base plate”, and, most importantly, a short-range 60GHz radar tech.

While the rest of the tech, including Bluetooth and 2.4GHz LAN, is self-explanatory, the 60GHz radar is reminiscent of the Soli radar that debuted in 2015. It was later used by Google on the Pixel 4 smartphone in 2019.

For those unaware, Soli Radar is a compact, low-energy radar that can track sub-millimeter hand motions, enabling touchless control of devices. 

Google

Though this radar was never used on subsequent Google phones, it was last spotted on a Nest Thermostat in 2020 to detect a human presence near the thermostat and activate its display automatically.

There is not much clarity on this device and its features at this point. However, 9to5Google feels that this could be an entry-level thermostat. This theory suggests that while a high-end Nest Thermostat is due for a launch, however as this 2024 version lacks other necessary sensors, it could just be a base variant.

According to The Verge, there is little possibility that this could be a smart speaker or a smart display as it doesn’t have Thread or Zigbee to control other smart home gadgets – a must in 2024. The publication suggests this could be a device, a smoke alarm, or a thermostat.

As per the listing, Google claims that this device would be at least 20 cm away from a human being – which rules out the possibility of this being the Pixel Watch 3. We’ll have to wait some more to see how Google wants to use this radar in 2024.