Google doubles AI Phones with Pixel 10 series

With the launch of the new Pixel 10 series, Google has quickly delivered AI-powered smartphones to consumers before APPLE. The Devices was announced at a Google event on Wednesday, and is just weeks ahead of Apple’s expected iPhone 17 Reveal.

Meanwhile, Google is rapidly integrating its AI platform into its devices.

Last year, the Pixel 9 series added a number of AI features, including Gemini Live (Gemini’s Voice Mode), image generation tools, call notes, and searchable screenshots. Since then, according to Google, Gemini Live’s conversations have been proven five times longer than text-based conversations.

This year, the tech giant is rolling out more AI-powered upgrades with the launch of the Pixel 10, including camera visual overlays, aggressive “magic queue” features, camera coaches, call translations, assistant-like “taker messaging” features, and Pixel Journal.

Combined, the updates allow Google to showcase what the latest AI technology can do when powered by the tensor G5 processor, upgrade to a company’s custom silicon designed for the AI experience, and run the latest Gemini Nano models first.

In addition to the launch, Google has announced that it will acquire a new audio model that detects tones, such as those that Gemini Live is excited or interested in, and adjusts the response accordingly.

Adding a feature called Visual Overlays allows Gemini Live to provide guidance by seeing what is visible through the camera lens and highlighting things on the screen. For example, when traveling abroad, you can lift your phone and see if road signs provide information about parking along the roadside.

Another new feature, Magic Cue, allows you to make AI more proactive by providing real-time context suggestions in real time with apps like Gmail, calendars, messages, screenshots and more.

The idea of a more positive interaction between people and Google technology is something the company has dreamed of for years, long before the AI era. For example, in the early 2010s, Google introduced an Android feature called Google Now. This will include real-time information related to your daily schedule and time of day, including nearby restaurants at lunchtime, upcoming meetings, flight details, and more.

A few years later, Magic Cue is an AI-powered reintroduction of this feature, but it’s something you can insert into everyday apps and interactions.

Google showed how Magic Cue suggested eating at a restaurant with friends, providing quick access to the restaurant and making reservations. You can either suggest booking details to a friend or point to the calendar to check availability.

Magic Cue suggestions are personalized daily digests of discovery feeds that appear within your app and are wrapped in rainbow outlines to distinguish them, within the Daily Hub. You can also tap on the suggestion to take action.

Also, like Google Now, Magic Cue can express reminders. But we’re taking it a step further by pop-up reminders and notifications more intuitively. For example, it may remind you of errands that need to be processed, such as returning online orders, suggesting topics you want to investigate, or recommending new playlists.

At launch, Magic Queue suggestions are limited to selected activities, such as calming tabs, adding events to calendars, and showing forecasts for future trips in the weather app. Over time, Google will add other options to allow you to configure the data sources that the feature can access.

Note that Apple is trying to do something similar by allowing users to interact with Siri and take action within the app. Unfortunately, Siri with its AI is behind schedule until 2026.

Another more interesting addition to the Pixel 10 series is the camera coach. This is an AI-driven assistant that aims to become a better photographer.

This feature launches in preview using the new device and provides suggestions on how to use Gemini models to better configure your shots. You can also choose the “Get Inspiration” option, which suggests scenes you haven’t considered.

Additionally, the camera is now visible when taking group photos. The Auto Best Take feature takes up to 150 images over a few seconds to find and analyze up to 150 images, whether it’s a shot you’ve snapped yourself or a shot you’ve made by blending others through AI.

Next, the AI-powered Ask Photos tool allows you to edit shots to do other things, such as modifying lighting, changing framing, texting to the AI assistant in your photo, removing objects from your photos, and more.

In Pro Devices, the Pro Res Zoom option allows you to use AI to “zoom” the 30x-60X or 30x-60X architecture and landscape of animals and wildlife.

The Pixel 10 phone, which is associated with enhanced use of AI in photos, will also be the first phone to implement C2PA, the standard that establishes the origins and editing of digital content that will help you identify photos when AI changes the photo.

Another new AI feature, Voice Translate, uses on-device AI to translate your phone in real time with what sounds like each speaker’s own audio. This could be a potential game changer, especially for business users and world travelers, if it works and is described. (Of course, this still needs to be tested by the reviewer.)

This feature is translated into English and Spanish, German, Japanese, French, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian and Indonesian.

The Pixel phone app provides a real-time transcript of missed calls and rejections with a new addition called Take A Message, and uses AI to identify the next step you need to take based on the caller’s voicemail. (You’ll also be calling notes for updates.)

Meanwhile, Pixel Journal is Google’s answer to Apple’s journal app, which encourages you to use AI to share your thoughts, track progress towards your goals, and provide insights over time.

Other minor AI upgrades in the Pixel 10 lineup include writing tools integrated into the Gboard keyboard, updates to Pixel Screenshots in Pixel Studio, and integration of notebook LM with recorders and screenshots.