Tech firm moves earlier than usual to launch latest Pixel line up

Tech giant Google stepped up the competition with rival Apple as it unveiled new smartphones that more tightly integrate artificial intelligence with its mobile system.

Among the new AI-powered features is a new tool that will allow people to add themselves to photographs, and an on-device feature exclusive to Pixel that will allow users to save important information that the Gemini AI assistant can access simply by taking a screenshot. Pixel screenshots analyses the content in the image and makes it searchable, allowing users to save and organise data quickly and easily.

Add Me allows you to take an initial photo, hand to phone to someone else, and that person in turn can take a photo of you. Add Me can then add you to the main picture, and process the entire image into a single frame.

The Magic Editor will now automatically reframe photos or suggest a way to crop it that will get the most from pictures, and users will be able to add new elements, such as greener grass or wildflowers, to transform a picture.

The Pixel 9 also ships with Pixel Studio, an app that creates images from text prompts. It can apply different styles, from cartoon images to video game graphics, but won’t manipulate images of people.

The new features will be available in the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro, which is being joined by the larger 6.8 inch display Pixel 9 Pro XL, and the new Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

The new devices are powered by the Tensor G4 processor with the Pro models getting 16 GB of RAM to help power the advanced AI features, an upgrade from last year’s devices. The G4 is the first to run Gemini Nano with Multimodality, a feature that helps the phones understand a range of content, from text and images to audio.

Gemini can summarise video content from YouTube, use screenshots to gather information and create calendar appointments, and draft documents with a specified tone.

“We are obsessed with the idea that AI can make life easier and more productive for people,” said Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google. “The most important place to get this right is right in the devices we carry with us every day.”

Mr Osterloh took a swipe at companies that have promised AI features “coming soon” but have yet to deliver, acknowledging the scepticism around the potential of AI. “There have been so many promises, so many coming soons and not enough real world helpfulness when it comes to AI. Which is why today we’re getting real,” he said. “Gemini is the key to it all. We’re fully in the Gemini era.”

The Pro devices will also get Google’s Gemini Live, announced at Google I/O earlier this year, which allows for more natural interaction with Gemini through conversation on your phones or Pixel Buds. Users can ask follow up questions, add on requests and interrupt - similar to a regular conversation. It will be available in English initially and will be made available to other Android manufacturers’ devices.

Google is also continuing to pitch the Pixel phone as an image powerhouse, talking up its capabilities in photo and video. The Pro models will have a triple rear camera and an upgraded 42 megapixel front-facing camera. Google has also included advanced video features, bringing its Super Res Zoom to video for the first time, and introducing Video Boost, which enhances videos to 8K.

The company is also bundling its Google One AI Premium Plan in with the phones for a year, bringing more powerful AI features to users. That includes the AI tools integrated into productivity tools such as Google Docs and Gmail, which can summarise documents, write emails and change the tone of messages at the user’s request.

Google took the wraps off the new devices at its Made by Google event on Tuesday, where it also announced a number of new products, including ear buds and watches.

The new Pixel Buds Pro 2, the first to include the Tensor A1 chip that Google says will deliver more advanced audio processing to adapt better to your environment, also have adaptive fit for use when exercising, and are smaller than their predecessor.

The Pixel Watch also got an update, with a second 45mm size added to the line-up.

The tech giant moved up the timing of the annual event, which is usually held in October, to this week as it seeks to get a head start on its rivals in the AI smartphone space.

“This was a strong update from the Google Pixel team and we expect momentum around its devices to continue,” said analyst Ben Woods of CCS Insights. “Although Pixel products still cater for a niche audience their reach is growing as they become available in more markets and sales continue to grow positively in regions such as North America and Europe.”

Despite the niche market – Pixel phones accounted for about 1 per cent of total smartphone sales worldwide in 2023, and 5 per cent in the US, according to CCS Insight’s market share analysis – there is a lot riding on this for Google. The company has been working on AI for some time, but was caught off-guard when Open AI unveiled ChatGPT, effectively stealing a march on its rivals.

Google has introduced a number of AI-powered tools for its phones in recent years, including powerful photo editing tools and its new Gemini assistant. Samsung’s Galaxy AI also uses a number of smart tools developed in partnership with Google, including the circle to search feature and the photo editing tools.

But Google is also facing new competition from Apple as it prepares its Apple Intelligence for launch in the coming weeks.

“Given the focus on AI, ongoing success will be dependent on Google explaining the tangible benefits that AI delivers rather than using it as a buzzword. Google’s storytelling must offer relevant and understandable use cases to help consumers justify investing in Pixel products, especially at a time when sales of smartphones are slowing as consumers hold on to their devices for longer,” Mr Woods said.

“We expect the ‘Add Me’ group-photography feature to be an anchor experience in the Pixel 9′s promotion. This and the slew of other AI-powered experiences are critical to the overall competitiveness of Android smartphones, particularly as Apple Intelligence looms.”

Reporting on:irishtimes.com