- Google is making a new smartphone with AI
Google is banking on AI features for its new Pixel smartphones. The software can summarize the content of emails and phone calls, or suggest text. Google's AI software is expected to run smoothly and securely on its own devices. The tech giant is leveraging its decades of investment in AI for this, according to device chief Rick Osterloh, who unveiled the Pixel 9 model at the company's headquarters in Mountain View.
Some of the new AI features will be exclusive to Pixel devices, such as the ability to extract and process information from screenshots. Other innovations will also be available on Android smartphones from other manufacturers, including the Gemini Live voice assistant that can engage in conversations with users.
The Pixel 9 will be released in four versions: a standard model, a beefed-up Pro variant with two screen sizes, and the Pro Fold, which has a foldable display. Buyers of the Pro models will get a one-year subscription to Gemini Live.
Osterloh emphasized that Google wants to answer the key question around AI: "What can AI do for me?" The company competes with its smartphones primarily against Samsung and Apple. The iPhone maker recently announced advanced AI features that will be rolled out gradually from this fall.
However, Apple is taking a different approach than Google: its in-house AI software will focus on personal information, while users can rely on the ChatGPT chatbot from OpenAI for other questions. Google's Gemini, on the other hand, is designed to be an AI software for all occasions.
Google also develops the Android mobile operating system, which runs on devices including the Pixel, Samsung smartphones, and devices from Chinese rivals. The operating system and AI are increasingly intertwined, said Osterloh. Google thus supplies AI features to Android partners like Samsung and competes with them at the same time if they remain exclusive to their own devices.
Personalized AI features
Among the new features of the Pixel phones is the ability to store the content of phone calls as text. Google emphasized that the data is secure and remains only on the devices. Microsoft recently delayed an AI feature that was supposed to take screenshots every few seconds on Windows computers due to concerns about data protection.
Many of Google's new AI features will initially launch in English in the US and become available in other countries over time. While Meta and Apple have delayed the EU launch of AI features due to the Digital Markets Act, Google says it has no such issues.
Google also promises a significantly improved camera for the Pixel 9. It is expected to deliver higher resolution images and better results in low light conditions. Alongside the smartphones, Google also unveiled a new model of its in-house smartwatch.
New Google smart glasses?
Osterloh said Google has never stopped working on smart glasses and hinted at future announcements. Meta is currently experimenting with a camera glasses that can provide AI with important context about where a user is and what they're seeing.
The Pixel 9's AI software can also process information from screenshots, making it unique among other Android smartphones. Furthermore, the advent of The Internet has made it possible for users to rely on chatbots like ChatGPT for various queries, while Google's Gemini Live is designed to serve as an all-purpose AI software.
