Google unveils AI-powered Pixel smartphones month before new iPhone launch
Alphabetâs Google on Tuesday unveiled a lineup of with deeper integrations of its artificial intelligence technology as it races to incorporate AI into its hardware.
The event at Alphabetâs headquarters in Mountain View, California, bucks a tradition Google has maintained with every iteration of Pixel — its flagship smartphone launched in October 2016 — to announce the new version in autumn.
The earlier timing is Googleâs latest bid to keep up with rivals in injecting AI features into its consumer-facing products and comes ahead of Apple’s planned launch of a new iPhone in September.
In June, Apple announced that devices including its latest version of iPhones would get upgrades that include âApple Intelligence,â a slew of generative AI-powered features within nað§tive applications, and an integration with ChatGPT, the chatbot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI.
“We’ve seen a lot of AI announcements in a short burst of time as of late. I don’t think you want to sit on it too long if you’re Google,” said IDC analyst Linn Huang.
New AI integrations announced on Tuesday include a Pixel-onlð·y feature that lets users search forð · information stored in screenshots.
Android users can also now pull up Gemini, GoogleâsęĶ chatbot, as an overlay on top of another app to answer questions or generate content.
“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,” said Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of devices and services. “We’re fully in the Gemini era.”
Employees showcased several live demos of new Gemini functions, such as a voice conversation feature, though an attempt to use Geðmini to cross-reference a picture of a concert poster with ð the calendar app took three tries and two devices to run successfully.
Pixel 9, the base 6.3-ið―nch display model, will retail at a starting price of $7ðŧ99, which is $100 more than the previous model.
This and the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL wilā·īl begin shipping later iâĪn August, a company spokesperson said.
The Pixel 9 Pro, which comes with added features like a better camera, and the foldable Pixel 9 Pro Fðold wiâll ship in September.
The new gadgets are ðavailable to preorder on Tuesday.
Google holds less than 1% market share in global smartphone shipmentsðž as of the second quarter of 2024, ę§according to IDC.
It trails far behind Samsungâs market share of 18.9% and Apple’s market share of 15.8%, according to IDC.
That is in part becðžause Google has entered fewer markets and is focused on higher-end price segments.
In the United States, Google’s 4.5% share makes it the fourth-biggest smartphone maker, according to IDC.
But the Pixel line has also enabðled Google to show off advances and spur the developer ecosystemï·― around its Android operating system, which is used by device manufacturers like Samsung.
Android represents oðŊne of several frontlines where Google is battling competitors to embed AI in ways that cęĶonsumers will use.
In May, it debuted a swath ofę§ upgrades to core products like its search engine.
The company’s engineers redesigned the Pixel’s exterior and included camera upgrades as well as Google’s new Tensor G4 chip.
Google announced new versions of its smartwâatch, the Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Buds Pro 2 wireless earbuds on Tuesday as welðl.
Google also added a âLoss of Pulseâ feature to the new Pixel Watch. The feature uses áĢalgorithms to determine whether a userâs heart has stopped and can contact emergency services. The feature will be available in the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Also on Tuesday, Google and Peloton, the fitness company known for its stationary bike, announced a content partnership in which subscribers to Google’s Fitbit Premium service would gain access to a library of Peloton’s training classes.