The most exciting update in Google's new Pixel phone is a feature that has flopped in the past

Of course, the radar technology in Google's new smartphone can do a lot more than just respond to your hand movements. Perhaps the most compelling use for Soli is its ability to sense when you're nearby, which helps it unlock the phone more quickly as you're reaching for it and intelligently turn off the display when you're away.

Such functionality could be hugely important for Google as it carries out its vision for mobile devices down the line.

Google's Mario Queiroz, who previously served as the vice president for the Pixel business before moving to a new position in the office of CEO Sundar Pichai, previously told Business Insider that bringing more intelligence to your smartphone will be critical for premium smartphones future.

"We're really moving to a world of ambient computing," Queiroz said to Business Insider several months ago ahead of the Pixel 3a's launch. "I really think that this transition to ambient computing, where your smartphone becomes even more intelligent about what's going on around you and even more helpful to you based on that information, is one of the [industry] trends."