Google has unveiled its latest generation of Pixel phones, signalling the company’s continued push into artificial intelligence (AI).
The company debuted the Pixel 10 phones alongside the new Pixel Watch 4 and new Pixel Buds 2a at the annual Made by Google event in the US.
But while some analysts noted the new devices were less of a leap than the previous year, Google focused on emphasising how its new AI features can benefit users day to day.
“We’ve got the best models, we’ve got the best AI assistant, and it means this can just unlock so much helpfulness on your phone,” said Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice-president of devices and services.
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The Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro Fold are powered by the latest generation of Google’s Tensor processor, the G5, and comes with the Gemini Nano artificial intelligence model built in.
The AI features include a new coach for the camera app to help users take better images, and Magic Cue that will highlight important and useful information without a user having to explicitly search for it.
Google said the feature is tightly integrated into some of the crucial apps on the Android operating system, including Google messages and the phone app, so it can proactively search out photos requested in a message or a flight confirmation when calling an airline.
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Real-time language translation for phone calls, a feature that was previously announced by the company, will also be available, along with voice-based image edits in Google Photos. Gemini Live, its AI model, is also being integrated with Pixel Buds Pro2 for real-time AI assistance.
“Google used its Made by Google event to make one thing clear: the Pixel line – and Android itself – is now primarily a platform for its advancing AI. Hardware specs took a back seat as Google showcased Gemini and the agent-driven features built on it. Most of the six product announcements funnelled toward the same message: Gemini is everywhere,” said Anisha Bhatia, senior technology analyst at GlobalData.
“Google clearly targeted switchers during the event – the marketing pointedly addressed iPhone users with two key problems – easy transfer of data and inclusive RCS messaging. While Google hasn’t significantly dented Apple’s market share yet, its Pixel series loaded with its ever-improving bag of AI magic could give consumers a compelling reason to switch.”
Google has added a new magnetic charging function, called Pixelsnap, that works with the built in Qi2 wireless charging and new magnetic accessories
The company is continuing to offer up to seven years of software updates and new features for the phones, alongside security patches.
The Pixel 10 series includes new camera improvements, with a new 5x telephoto lens for the base model Pixel 10 and up to 20x zoom with Super Res Zoom for long-distance shooting.
The company is also set to bring Gemini to more devices, including smart glasses, and could be integrated into other devices such as cars, TVs, smart speakers and smart displays.
“There has been a lot of hype about (AI in phones) and frankly a lot of broken promises too, but Gemini is the real deal,” Mr Osterloh said.
