Pixel devices have always been a reflection of how Google sees Android, as well as a platform to showcase its own apps and technology advances. In the current era, this vision encompasses Google’s consumer AI suite. Google wants Pixel owners to live and breathe Google AI in all aspects of their lives through the new devices.
While a lot of people are talking about AI as a paradigm shift, companies know that the best way to reach consumers is still their phones.
Google wants people to believe its phones and their AI tools are the best. They even hired Jimmy Fallon to tell you about it.
Image Credits: Ivan Mehta
In terms of its hardware, the Pixel lineup didn’t go through drastic changes this year.
The most notable point was possibly the base Pixel 10 getting a telephoto camera. The other notable addition was PixelSnap — Google’s version of MagSafe with Qi2 charging — which unlocks a number of accessories, including chargers and stands.
I have been using the Pixel 10 Pro for the last few days, a device that has a new, brighter screen, more RAM, and a pro camera.
The company’s announcement focused substantially on its new Tensor G5 chip, which is made by TSMC instead of Samsung this year. Google touted that the new chip is better at AI performance and runs the latest Gemini Nano model. (We can’t faithfully review its performance after using the phone for only a few days. Stayed tuned.)
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Google’s software features have been a mainstay of Pixel phones for a long time, but with AI, that slant becomes more prominent.
Image Credits: Ivan Mehta
System AI features
All companies are packing mentions of AI technology in their device presentations. However, customers often get only a partial version of those promises when they get the device in their hands for the first time. For example, I have been using an Indian Pixel unit, which means some AI features aren’t available immediately.
Of note, Daily Hub, a feature that shows the summary of your day with other content suggestions, as well as support for conversational edits in Photos, are only available in the U.S. at the moment.
Magic Cue, meanwhile, is one of the marquee AI features of this year. It will contextually surface information from one app to another.
It’s designed to surface information such as restaurant reservations, flights, or hotel bookings in a contextual way. That is, if you’re talking about lunch with your friend, it could surface lunch recommendations, or it could surface flight details when you’re calling airlines.
In tests, Magic Cue showed me a contact detail when I received a text asking for someone’s contact.
It also showed me suggestions for “Love is Blind” when I opened YouTube because of prior screenshots and messages. Plus, it showed me a coffee shop recommendation when I opened Maps.
However, when I got a text asking if I had ordered cat food, Magic Cue missed the opportunity to add context from Gmail based on a delivery confirmation email.
Image Credits: Screenshot from TechCrunch
Right now, the feature largely works across Google apps, including Messages, Gmail, Keep, Calendar, Screenshots, and Contacts.
It will be interesting to see how it evolves, if other apps are able to use it, and how much context it will then be able to pull in. That promise sounds a lot like what Apple’s 2024 preview of an AI-enabled Siri was supposed to do, and that hasn’t gone so well — Siri’s update is delayed until at least 2026.
So far, it seems Magic Cue is off to a good start, but only long-term usage and tests will prove its effectiveness.
Call translation is another significant AI feature arriving on Pixel 10s, especially if you communicate with people who speak different tongues or you have international colleagues. Google advertised that, apart from language translation, the feature retains your voice in the tra …