Category: Technology

Google just unveiled the Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphone during its Made by Google event and, boy oh boy, is it a doozy. This is a larger version of the Pixel 9 Pro. It ships with the brand-new Tensor G4 processor and 16GB of RAM. As with most modern handsets, it’s designed for AI tasks and ships with a one-year subscription to Google’s One AI Premium Plan. This allows for unfettered access to Google Gemini.

The camera system has been improved, and Pixel phones were already pretty dang good at snapping photos and shooting video. There’s a triple rear camera, and an upgraded 42 MP front camera. Footage can be algorithmically enhanced to 8K and the company is finally bringing Super Res Zoom to videos.

It’s important to note that the XL is really just a larger version of the Pixel 9 Pro. Beyond slightly faster charging and a bigger display, there aren’t really any features to set it apart from its smaller cousin. That display, however, is pretty nice. It’s a 6.8-inch Super Actua OLED screen that really pops, with Google promising it shows “true-to-life colors, even in direct sunlight.” This is because the brightness level has ticked up a bit to 3,000 nits. The Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,100, and will be available in four colors. These include obsidian, rose quartz and hazel.

Despite not being released yet, the Pixel 9 Pro XL already faces some stiff competition. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra released back in January and has proven itself to be a bona-fide hit. We gave it high marks in our official review, praising the useful AI tools, sturdy titanium frame, excellent battery life and bright display. But how does it stack up against the just-revealed Pixel 9 Pro XL? Let’s compare specs.

Pixel 9 Pro XL

Galaxy S24 Ultra

Pricing (MSRP)

Starts at $1,100

Starts at $1,300

Dimensions

162.8 x 76.6 x 8.5 (mm)

162.3 x 79.0 x 8.6 (mm)

Weight

7.8 ounces

8.2 ounces

Screen size

6.8”

6.8″

Screen resolution

1,344 x 2,992

31,20 x 1,440 (Quad HD+)

Screen type

LTPO OLED

Dynamic AMOLED 2X

SoC

Google Tensor G4 / Titan M2 security coprocessor

Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

RAM

16 GB

12 MB

Battery

5,060 mAh 24+ hour battery life (depending on usage type)

5,000 mAh24+ hour battery life (depending on usage type)

Charging

USB Type-C

USB Type-C

Storage

128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB / 1 TB

512GB

Bluetooth

Bluetooth v5.3

Bluetooth v5.3

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi 7

Wi-Fi 7

Water and dust resistance

IP68

IP68

Rear cameras

50 MP Octa PD main

48 MP Quad PD ultrawide

48 MP Quad PD telephoto

200 MP main

10 MP telephoto

50 MP periscope telephoto

12 MP ultrawide

Front camera

42 MP Dual PD

12 MP Dual PD

OS

Android

Android

Finishes

Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel, Rose Quartz

Gray, Black, Violet, Yellow

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-pixel-9-pro-xl-vs-samsung-galaxy-s24-ultra-a-battle-of-androids-biggest-phones-170055756.html?src=rss 

Last year, Google released the Pixel Fold — the company’s first-ever phone with a flexible screen. But today at its latest Made By event, Google showed off a sequel. But don’t call it the Pixel Fold 2, because in addition to a revamped design featuring what’s being called the largest display of any phone on the market, it’s also getting a reworked name: the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Now I must say, that moniker is a real mouthful. But the idea behind it was to ensure that people know the new Fold is part of the larger Pixel 9 family. That means this latest Fold has the same Tensor G4 chip, a similar design and all the AI features as the rest of the line. Plus a few bespoke additions made just for this device.

But before we get into that, let’s start with its design, which has made a pretty big shift from its passport-shaped predecessor. This time, Google opted for more traditional dimensions with the Pro Fold sporting a 6.3-inch outside display that’s almost identical in size to what you get on the standard Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. And with a peak brightness of up to 2,700 nits for both inside and outside displays, it’s basically just as colorful and vibrant.

Then on the inside, you get a flexible screen that measures a whopping 8 inches across, beating out rivals like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 (7.6 inches), OnePlus Open (7.82 inches) and Honor Magic V3 (7.92 inches). Its technical name is the Super Actua Flex display, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. For the Pro Fold’s chassis, Google has switched to a boxier design with a new steel hinge covered by an aluminum alloy and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in front and back.

Now I will admit I was a bit bummed out by the change in shape as I’ve really come to appreciate the original Pixel Fold’s wide front screen. However, after playing around with it, the Pro Fold’s dimensions are definitely growing on me. Plus, if you remember from my interview with Google’s design team, the purpose of the first Fold’s shorter and squattier design was to make the outside screen more usable than the long and skinny displays Samsung uses on the Z Fold line. And by using a screen that is the same size as the regular Pixel 9 on the Pro Fold, it’s clear that they’re still sticking to that mantra.

Google has also slimmed down the phone and is claiming that it’s the thinnest foldable you can buy today. That said, measuring 5.1mm thick when open or 10.5mm thick when closed, I believe it’s a touch fatter than both the Honor Magic V3 (4.4mm/9.3mm) and the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 (4.6mm/9.5mm). That said, if we’re only talking about models available in the US, I think Google’s claim holds true.

Around back, there’s a big new camera module that holds a 48-MP main camera and a 10.8-MP telephoto cam with a 5x optical zoom, which look to be the same as what we got in last year’s phone instead of using the new sensors available on the main Pixel 9 models. But I haven’t been able to confirm that just yet. And finally, there’s a 10.5-MP ultra-wide camera.

I’ve dinged Samsung in the past for saddling the Z Fold line with cameras that aren’t quite as good as what you get on the main Galaxy S family, and it looks like Google is doing something similar to the Pro Fold, which I don’t love. But seeing as how last year’s phone offers better image quality than what you get on the new Z Fold 6, it’s not quite as big of a deal.

Naturally, there are a ton of new features and photo modes too. There’s stuff like Add Me, which uses AR guides to help you take group shots so you don’t need to ask a passerby for help. There is also a new and improved Video Boost tool that works in the dark and supports high-resolution zooms. But my favorite addition is Made You Look, which puts a fun animation on the outside screen so you can get a nice shot of your kids or anyone else who might otherwise be slightly distracted. It even uses an algorithm to detect when someone is smiling, to make the animation move, which is just a really simple but effective way to get a true candid reaction during a posed photo. Google has also finally implemented the Zoom Enhance feature it teased back during the launch of Pixel 8.

And of course, it wouldn’t be Google without a bunch of new AI features. For photos, there are a few new Magic Editor tricks like Autoframe that can recompose your shots, or Reimagine, which can replace things (typically the foreground and background of a shot) with anything you can put in the prompt box.

For more general use, there’s the Pixel Screenshots app which allows you to save screenshots and then later use AI to find specific images or more detailed stuff like concert dates. Alternatively, if you want to generate your own images from scratch, the new Pixel Studio app looks surprisingly powerful. Not only can you create subjects and backgrounds, you can also generate stickers of your friends, remove distracting objects, or put together things like party invitations using your custom artwork. There’s even a new Pixel Weather app that uses AI to write a quick summary of what’s going on that day.

But the ML-powered tools don’t stop there, because Gemini Live allows you to have more natural conversations with AIs, so you can get answers on a huge range of topics without needing to say “Hey” every time you think of a question. There are also several features I didn’t get to try such as the Pixel 9’s improved Clear Calling, Call Notes, which uses AI to create transcripts of a call, and Google’s new satellite SOS system, which lets you call for help even when you don’t have cell service. Lastly, Google has bumped up the amount of RAM in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold from 12GB to 16GB of RAM with either 256GB or 512GB of storage.

So while I’ve only had a short time with it thus far, I really like what Google is doing with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold — you know, aside from its clunky new name. In a lot of ways, Google is delivering what I wanted Samsung to do for the Z line. The Pro Fold is thinner than Z Fold 6 while also having a bigger main screen. And its cameras should be better too. Plus, thanks to Google’s lead in AI, we’re getting even more fun and useful tools for tweaking photos or remembering that cool pair of shoes you screenshotted weeks ago. Sure, Google still doesn’t have a real alternative to Dex mode or built-in stylus support. But for people who want a convertible phone with great screens, excellent cameras and powerful software, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is looking like a great follow-up to the original. Oh, and priced at $1,800, it costs $100 less than the Z Fold 6 too.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is available for pre-order today with official sales beginning on September 4. It will be available in two colors: porcelain and obsidian.

Catch up on all the news from Google’s Pixel 9 launch event right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-hands-on-a-clever-new-shape-and-even-bigger-displays-170058834.html?src=rss 

August used to be a relatively sleepy month for tech news — no longer! Now that Google scooted up its annual October Pixel event by two months, the tech world is abubble, going over everything execs announced from Mountain View, California at the Made By Google keynote on Tuesday. 

The Pixel 9 launch event came with enthusiastic introductions for all the hardware we expected, including the new Pixel 9 and its sizable camera bump. The Pixel 9 Pro and the larger Pixel 9 Pro XL made their official debut, too, and the new foldable, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, does indeed measure just 0.4 inches thick. The new Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 have now been revealed, as were plenty of software features, mostly in the form of Gemini integrations with the latest Android 15.0 operating system. For the play-by-play, you can check out our liveblog or check out Google’s stream. If you just want the highlights, here’s everything announced at the 2024’s Made by Google Pixel event. 

Google Pixel 9

What you first notice about Google’s latest Pixel 9 is the redesigned look. The camera band has been replaced with oblong oval that stands proud from a slab that’s about a tenth of an inch thinner than the Pixel 8. The screen size has bumped back up to 6.3 inches, after dipping to 6.2 inches on the Pixel 8, and is covered in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. It’s got a polished glass back with satin metal finishes on the frame and cameras. 

Speaking of cameras, there’s the same number as last year (two in the back, one in the front) but the previous generation’s 12 MP ultrawide lens has been replaced with a 48 MP ultrawide lens. The other two cameras have the same specs, except the front cam now has autofocus for better selfies. To take advantage of those fancy sensors, new AI photography enhancements like Add Me and Reimagine join the existing Magic Editor, Night Sight and Best Take features. 

The Pixel 9 houses the same Tensor G4 chip, designed to be better at everyday tasks, while using up less battery. As its more expensive siblings and now comes with 12GB of memory, eliminating the option of an 8GB model. That extra RAM will help handle the many Gemini integrations coming standard in Android 15. Pressing and holding the power button will overlay the assistant on whatever you’re doing on-screen and can answer questions, pull details from other apps, and producing contextualized recommendations based on images you take. 

The Pixel 9 comes with 7 years of OS and security updates and is available in Obsidian, Porcelain, Wintergreen, and Peony. Its starts at $799 for 128GB of storage. 

Google Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL

Those not content with a standard-issue phone can opt for the Pixel 9 Pro or the Pixel 9 Pro XL instead. Notably this year, the Pro moniker doesn’t necessarily mean bigger; the Pixel 9 Pro is the same size as the regular Pixel 9, both with 6.3-inch screens. Google created a new category in its lineup with the Pixel 9 Pro XL — a phone with the the same general specs as the Pro model but with a larger, 6.8-inch display and a 5,060 mAh battery (versus the 4,700 mAh battery on the smaller version).

All three Pixel 9 models use the same Google Tensor G4 processor, but the two Pro phones have 16GB of RAM on hand to execute AI tricks and any other task you might demand from them. You can get either phone with 128GB of storage or a full terabyte. The Pro models also pack an additional 48 MP telephoto lens in the back and a heftier 42 MP selfie camera up front. 

Both come with a year’s subscription to the Google One AI Premium Plan which lets you access all of the tricks Gemini can do — after the free trial, you’ll need to pay $20 monthly (the plan also comes with 2TB of storage). 

The Pixel 9 Pro starts at $999 and the Pixel 9 Pro XL starts at $1,099. Both come in the same four colors: Obsidian, Porcelain, Hazel and Rose Quartz, and include a promised seven years of security and features updates. Like everything announced at the event, the phones are now open to preorders.  

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

We now officially know that Google’s second foldable phone is not called the Pixel Fold 2, but rather the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. To go along with the enlarged name, there’s a bigger, eight-inch inner screen, making it the largest on any phone out there. The outer screen is larger too, measuring 6.3 inches, up from 5.8 inches last year. Google claims the interior screen is 80 percent brighter than its predecessor and now maxes out at 2,700 nits. 

A persistent complaint with foldables is how heavy and bulky they can feel. Google hopes a few design tweaks will help with that. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold now measures just 0.4 inches when closed, making it the thinnest foldable on the market (as long as you don’t count the sizable camera bump) and at 257g it’s about 25 grams lighter than the Pixel Fold.  

It houses Google’s Tensor G4 chip, comes standard with 16GB of RAM and offers your choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage. Like every piece of 2024 Pixel hardware, The 9 Pro Fold is tailored around Google’s Gemini AI contrivances. Pressing the power button brings up the assistant, which you can use in split screen on the foldable. The phone also comes with a year of the One AI Premium plan, which jumps to $20 per month afterwards. 

The three exterior cameras include a wide, ultrawide and telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and up to 20x Super Res Zoom. There’s a 10 MP camera on both the interior and on the front of the exterior screen. And, thanks to the foldable nature of the phone you can take selfies using the more powerful rear cameras by checking out the preview of the shot on the exterior screen. 

The latest Google foldable costs the same $1,799 as the 2023 model and comes in either Obsidian or Porcelain. It too is now available for preorder.  

Google Pixel Watch 3

Last year we said the Pixel Watch 2 was “catching up to its rivals,” but still took issue with the disjointed Fitbit integration and the lack of wireless charging. Fitbit is still very much a part of the Pixel Watch 3 experience and charging still requires a cable — our full review will tell us whether those are dealbreakers or not. 

The watch now comes in two sizes, with a larger 45mm case size joining the 41mm model. Thanks to thinner bezels, the 41mm display is 10 percent larger than on the Pixel Watch 2 and the 45mm screen is 40 percent larger. Both screens peak at 2,000 nits, which is twice as bright as 2023’s watch, and both get as dim as 1 nit. 

There’s a new readiness score and cardio load tracking, which sounds a bit like the Training Load feature in Apple’s watchOS 11 — all of which give you feedback on how hard you’re pushing yourself. New integrations include displaying live feed of your Nest cams from your watch and using the wearable as a Google TV remote. The battery offers the same 24 hours of use on a charge, but Google claims recharging will be 20 percent quicker with a 30-watt wall adapter (sold separately).

The 41mm Pixel Watch 3 retails for $349 for WiFi only and $449 with LTE. The 45mm model goes for $399 or $499 if you get cellular connectivity. Both come in your choice of black or silver, with an added hazel hue for the larger case size. 

Google Pixel Buds Pro 2

Despite being smaller and lighter, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 somehow manage to pack an hour longer battery life compared to the Pixel Buds Pro, now getting up to 12 hours of play with noise cancellation off. The Silent Seal feature is back and now should reduce twice as much noise as before. Plus they’ll support Spatial audio with head tracking — but only when paired with a Pixel 6 or newer phone or a Pixel Tablet.  

The Tensor chip inside, the first in a pair of Google earbuds, enables the new features and can process audio “90 times faster than the speed of sound” in order to adapt to your environment. And thanks to multi-path processing, noise-cancellation computations don’t happen on the same channel as the audio, so the music you hear is unaltered.   

New “twist-to-adjust” stabilizers should keep the buds in place when you’re working out, but can be adjusted in the other direction for a more comfortable feel. Conversation Detection is back, meaning you won’t have to pull out a bud when you need to talk to someone — instead the music pauses when you start speaking and resumes when you’re done. 

The Pixel Buds 2 Pro are available to preorder now and come in Porcelain, Hazel, Wintergreen and Peony. They’re selling for $229, which is $29 more than the Pixel Buds Pro were at launch. 

Google Pixel Screenshot app

The new Pixel Screenshot app is only available on Pixel 9 phones at launch (no word yet on wider availability) and uses Gemini Nano (the on-board AI model) to save, extract and organize info you might otherwise forget the origin of. For example, you can take a screenshot of an Instagram post about a music festival and the AI will give you a summary as well as buttons to do things like add dates to your calendar the next time you access that screenshot from the app. A screenshot of a restaurant should produce buttons to call the business or navigate there via Google Maps. 

Google says you should also be able to ask natural questions using the app’s microphone, and Pixel Screenshots will either answer it outright and bring up relevant annotated images. The app launches today, along with everything else and while it’s reminiscent of Apple’s redesigned Photos app, we’ll have to try it for ourselves to really suss out all the differences. 

Android 15 and Gemini

The one thing we expected that didn’t come into play was the launch of Android 15 — we heard a little about the new operating system during May’s Google I/O event. But now we know it’s not coming right away. New Pixel Phones will launch with Android 14. 

When it comes, Android 15 will, unsurprisingly, revolve around giving Gemini the reigns and letting Google’s AI do your bidding. Gemini can be pulled up over whatever app you’re using and answer your questions about what’s on screen. Circle to Share lets you quickly send whatever you happen to be looking at to your contacts with just a couple taps. 

Google has revamped its Assistant around Gemini. Google hardware Chief Rick Osterloh said, “It’s the biggest leap forward since we launched Google Assistant.” And Google promises that the assistant won’t just be for fancy flagship devices, but also existing ones — it’s not just Google phones that get the tools, but all Android phones. Some of the demos (all of which were performed live on stage — with a couple of hiccups, and big cheers when things went right) were performed on Samsung and Motorla phones. President of Android, Sameer Samat, called Gemini the “most widely available AI Assistant.” 

You can now also ask Gemini to access files in your Drive or messages in your Gmail account to generate text-based content like bios, workout plans or itineraries. To keep your personal details private, requests involving the most sensitive info are handled by Gemini Nano, an AI model that lives on your phone.

Other examples included asking Gemini to create a list of the foods a YouTube creator eats on a travel video and then added those to a list. Or asking it to create a playlist described by vibes. With Gemini Live, you get a few new voices, including Dipper, Ursa and Vega. Gemini Live hits hard on the conversational aspect of talking with Gemini and the responses did indeed sound natural — especially when you don’t have to keep saying “hey Google.”

Everything else 

Other features revealed in Mountain View include the Add Me feature in photos. The AI trick allows the photographer to be in the shot by taking one photo without them, and then another with them in place, then AI merges the photos, ensuring reality’s increasing subjectivity.   

This story is developing. Refresh for the latest updates…

Catch up on all the news from Google’s Pixel 9 launch event right here!

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-google-pixel-9-the-pixel-9-pro-fold-and-everything-announced-at-the-made-by-google-event-170033839.html?src=rss 

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold is here, evolving the company’s foldable phone formula from the lineup’s debut a year ago. The company’s second-generation model has a bigger screen than the 2023 model and (shock!) is full of Gemini AI features. Let’s look at how its specs and features compare to its most direct rival, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Dimensions and display

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a slightly bigger phone than Samsung’s. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is 13 percent wider and a smidge taller when unfolded. Both phones are roughly the same thickness when open, although the Pixel measures a bit thinner when folded.

Both phones have OLED (or OLED-adjacent) displays with the goodies you’d expect from the tech: rich colors, deep blacks and more efficient power in darker scenes. Google’s model has an 8-inch OLED Super Actua Flex main display, while Samsung uses a 7.6-inch AMOLED. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s internal screen is 12 percent bigger by area. They’re similarly sharp: 373 ppi on the Pixel vs. 375 ppi on the Z Fold 6.

The phones’ outer displays are the same size diagonally (6.3 inches). However, the Pixel’s is 6.5 percent bigger when measured by area, which factors in aspect ratios.

The Pixel 9 Fold Pro is 7.5 percent heavier: 9.1 oz (257 g) compared to the Z Fold’s 8.4 oz (239 g).

Processor, RAM and storage

The Pixel 9 Fold Pro is powered by the Tensor G4 chip, while the Z Fold 6 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. We’ll need more hands-on time with the Pixel to say what that means in benchmarks and everyday experience. However, we found the Z Fold 6 speedy and responsive without noticeable lag.

The Pixel does have more RAM: 16GB to 12GB on the Pixel. Both phones start with 256GB storage. Each offers a 512GB variant, but only the Z Fold 6 has a 1TB option. (For those who don’t mind paying nearly $2,300 for a phone!)

Price

Foldable phones are still luxury items, with the Pixel outpacing Apple’s most expensive iPhone by $600. The Pixel is a bit less expensive than the Z Fold, setting you back “only” $1,799 and up compared to the Z Fold 6’s $1,900. (Although you may find trade-in deals that leave you paying significantly less.) Even the “budget” rival to these two, the OnePlus Open, still costs a hefty $1,700 without trade-ins.

As much as foldable phones have improved since they first arrived five years ago, they’re still pricing out all but the most deep-pocketed consumers. Until they’re competing more with other high-end phones than top-of-the-line laptops, they’ll remain niche products for the privileged.

Full specs comparison

Here’s a table showing the full specs breakdown between the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Starting price

$1,799

$1,900

Dimensions

Folded: 6.1 x 3 x 0.4 inch (155.2 x 77.1 x 10.5 mm)

Unfolded: 6.1 x 5.9 x 0.2 inch (155.2 x 150.2 x 5.1 mm)

Folded: 6 x 2.7 x 0.5 inch (153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm)

Unfolded: 6 x 5.2 x 0.2 inch (153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm)

Weight

9.1 oz (257 g)

8.4 oz (239 g)

Processor

Tensor G4

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Display

Inner: 8-inch OLED | 2076 x 2152 (373 ppi)

Outer: 6.3-inch OLED | 1080 x 2424 (422 ppi)

Inner: 7.6-inch AMOLED | 2076 x 2152 (374 ppi)

Outer: 6.3-inch AMOLED | 968 x 2376 (410 ppi)

Storage

256GB / 512GB

256GB / 512GB / 1TB

RAM

16GB

12GB

Battery

4650 mAh | “24 hours”

4400 mAh | “up to 18 hours”

Camera

Main: 48 MP Wide (ƒ/1.7) | 10.5 MP Ultrawide (ƒ/2.2) | 10.8 MP Telephoto (ƒ/3.1) w/5x zoom

Front: 10 MP Dual PD (ƒ/2.2)

Inner: 10 MP Dual PD (ƒ/2.2)

Main: 50 MP Wide (ƒ/1.8) | 12 MP Ultrawide (ƒ/2.2) | 10 MP (ƒ/1.8) / Telephoto (ƒ/2.4) w/3x zoom

Front: 10 (ƒ/2.2)

Inner: 4 MP (ƒ/1.8)

Stylus support

—

S Pen Fold Edition

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-pixel-9-pro-fold-vs-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-6-how-the-best-foldables-stack-up-173027127.html?src=rss 

Google’s Pixel 9 lineup is powered by cutting-edge hardware like the Tensor G4 processor and tons of RAM that should help keep your phone feeling fast and fresh for years to come. But all that hardware is also designed to power brand new AI experiences.

“Android is reimagining your phone with Gemini,” wrote Sameer Samat, Google’s president of the Android Ecosystem, in a blog post published on Tuesday. “With Gemini deeply integrated into Android, we’re rebuilding the operating system with AI at the core. And redefining what phones can do.”

Here are the big new AI features coming with the new Pixel devices.

Gemini overlays and Gemini Live

Gemini, Google’s AI-powered chatbot, will be the default assistant on the new Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL and Pixel 9 Pro Fold phones. To access it, simply hold down your phone’s power button and start talking or typing in your question.

A big new change is that you can now bring up Gemini on top of any app you’re using to ask questions about what’s on your screen, like finding specific information about a YouTube video you’re watching, for instance. You’ll also be able to generate images directly from this overlay and drag and drop them into the underlying app, as well as upload a photo into the overlay and ask Gemini questions about it.

If you buy the pricier Pixel 9 Pro (starting at $999), Google’s bundling in one free year of the Google One AI Premium Plan that typically runs $19.99 a month for access to 2 TB cloud storage and access to Gemini Advanced, which lets you try Gemini directly in Google products like Gmail and Docs to help you summarize text and conversations.

Crucially, Gemini Advanced also includes access to Gemini Live, which Google describes as a new “conversational experience” to make speaking with Gemini more intuitive (I’m not the only one having a hard time keeping track of all the things Google brands “Gemini,” don’t worry). You can use Gemini Live to have natural conversations with Gemini about anything that’s on your mind, including, Google says, using it for help with complex questions and job interviews, choosing between a variety of voices that sound stunningly lifelike, according to demos that Google showed Engadget earlier this month.

Recently, OpenAI released Advanced Voice Mode, a similar feature, to paying ChatGPT customers with a voice assistant that can talk, sing, laugh and allegedly understand emotion. When asked if getting Gemini Live to sound as human-like as possible was one of Google’s goals, Sissie Hsiao, the company’s vice president and general manager of Gemini Experiences told Engadget that Google was “not here to flex the technology. We’re here to build a super helpful assistant.”

Photos and Camera features

Google is using AI to make both taking and editing pictures dramatically better with the Pixel 9 phones, something they’ve focused on for years now. A new feature called Add Me, which will be released in preview with the new devices, for instance, will let you take a group photo and then take a picture of the photographer separately and add it to the main picture seamlessly — handy if you don’t have anyone around to take a picture of your entire group.

Meanwhile, Magic Editor, the built-in, AI-powered editing tool on Android, can now suggest the best crops and even expand existing images by filling in details with generative AI to get more of the scene. Finally, a new “reimagine” feature will let you add elements like fall leaves or make grass greener — punching up your images, yes, but blurring the line between which of your memories are real and which are not.

Circle to Search now lets you share

You can already search anything that you see on your phone by simply circling it, but now, AI will intelligently clip whatever you’ve circled and let you instantly share it in a text message or an email. Handy.

Pixel Screenshots

If you can’t figure out how to sort through the tons of pictures of receipts, tickets and screenshots from social media littering your phone’s photo gallery, use AI to help. A brand new app called Pixel Screenshots available on the new Pixel devices at launch will go through your photo library (once you give it permission), pick out screenshots, and then identify what’s within each picture. You can also click pictures of real-world signs (such as a music festival you want to attend, for example), and directly ask the app relevant questions like when do the tickets for the festival go on sale. 

Call Notes

A new feature called Call Notes will automatically save a private summary of each phone call. so you can refer back to a transcript to quickly look up important information from the call like an appointment time, address, or phone number later. Google notes that the feature runs fully on-device, which means that nothing is sent to Google’s servers for processing. And everyone on the call will be notified if you’ve activated Call Notes. 

Pixel Studio

We’ve been able to use AI to generate images for a long time now, but Google is finally building in the feature right into Android thanks to Pixel Studio, a dedicated new image-generation app for Pixel 9 devices. The app runs on both, an on-device model powered by the new Tensor G4 processor and Google’s Imagen 3 model in the cloud. You can share any images you create in the app through messaging or email directly.

A similar feature called Apple Image Playground is coming to newer iPhones with iOS 18 in September.

Custom weather reports

Google will use AI to create custom weather reports for your specific location right at the top of a new Weather app so you “don’t have to scroll through a bunch of numbers to get a sense of the day’s weather,” according to the company’s blog post. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/here-are-all-the-ai-features-coming-to-the-pixel-9-phones-173551511.html?src=rss