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The Google Pixel 9 series, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Buds Pro 2 were introduced by the company on Tuesday during its annual Made by Google event. In addition to the new hardware, the tech giant also announced several new artificial intelligence (AI) features coming to across the devices, such as the new Pixel Screenshot and Pixel Weather apps, new camera and editing features, and deeper integration of the Gemini AI assistant. Here’s a breakdown of every AI feature announced at the event for easy reference.
Gemini AI Assistant Upgrade
In a blog postThe tech giant revealed that the Gemini AI assistant, which was added to Pixel smartphones and supported Android devices, is now getting smarter and more capable. The Pixel 9 series will no longer include Google Assistant as a default assistant, though users will have the option to revert to the “legacy assistant”.
While it will become the default option, Gemini will also gain several new capabilities. Google says it can now handle complex queries and accepts text, images, and speech as input methods. Furthermore, the AI assistant will also integrate with several Google apps like Gmail, Maps, and more, so users will be able to ask queries that require access to those apps as well. For example, users will be able to ask Gemini about an email they received last week. Gemini Live, which was demoed during the event, will also be available to those who subscribe to Gemini Advanced.
AI-powered image editing
Camera performance and editing features have always been strong points for Pixel phones. With the Pixel 9 series, the company is introducing three new AI-powered features. The first is Add Me, a feature that allows people missing from a group photo to be added to it. Google is pitching this feature as a way for the person taking the photo to be part of the photo as well.
Auto Framing feature in the Pixel 9 series
Photo Credit: YouTube/Made by Google
When a user clicks a picture in this mode, the AI will ask the photographer to switch places with someone and stand in front of the same background. The AI will also help the new photographer to align the frame and reset the photo.
Additionally, Magic Editor is also getting a couple of features. The first is auto framing, which realigns the photo to focus on people or objects. Users can see multiple variations of this and select the one they prefer. The second feature is an expansion on the AI-generated sky feature that was added with the Pixel 8 series. With it, users can now type a prompt to generate the kind of background they want to create.
New AI apps coming to the Pixel 9 series
The Pixel 9 series also gets three new apps with AI capabilities. The first is Pixel Studio, an AI image generator. Google says it’s powered by an on-device diffusion model powered by the Tensor G4 chipset and the Imagen 3 AI model in the cloud. The image generator offers features like style changes, sticker creation and inline editing.
Pixel Screenshots App
Photo Credit: YouTube/Made by Google
Second, there’s a Screenshots app, which uses AI to extract information from screenshots saved on the device. The feature is similar to the recently announced Recall feature for Windows, but Google’s app doesn’t actually take screenshots itself. It simply uses a multi-modal AI model and the screenshots folder as a database to find the requested information.
Last up is the new Pixel Weather app. Visually, it’s a minimalist app based on the weather interface of the Google app. The company says it uses AI to provide traditional weather forecasts and more accurate predictions. The app uses Gemini Nano to generate custom weather forecasts. The different weather information can also be moved around to create a custom look.
Other AI features in the Pixel 9 series
In addition to these, two other AI features have also been announced for smartphones. The first is an improvement to Google Keep, which now uses Gemini to create a list of everything the user might need. The second is called Call Notes and can save a summary of a conversation after a phone call. The transcript is available in the call log in case the user needs to check information.
AI Features in Pixel Watch 3
While the Pixel phones have been getting a bigger share of AI features, Google also announced several new AI features coming to the Pixel Watch 3. The smartwatch now uses AI and machine learning (ML) to automatically detect when the user goes to sleep and when they wake up. Based on this information, the watch will switch Bedtime mode on and off.
Pixel Watch 3 AI Features
Photo Credit: YouTube/Made by Google
AI is also used for motion detection and data analysis on the Pixel Watch 3. The AI system can provide detailed analysis of various advanced running metrics such as cadence, stride length and height, and ground contact time to help users improve their running form. Google AI also provides daily running recommendations.
The Pixel Watch 3 also gets the Pixel 8 series’ Call Assist feature, which lets users screen spam calls and ask them to be held.
AI Features in Pixel Buds Pro 2
Finally, some handy AI-powered features have also made their way to the Pixel Buds Pro 2. The Tensor A1 chipset uses AI and ML to offer twice the noise cancellation of the Buds Pro, Google claims.
Pixel Buds Pro 2 also lets users talk to Gemini without using the smartphone. The earbuds support hands-free access to Gemini and with the help of the voice mode, users can get information on the go.
