We live in an age where AI is dominating the whole tech space, and it’s also coming for physical products too. And, ahead of the Pixel 8 series coming to market, it seems abundantly clear that Google is leaning very heavily on AI to bolster its new smartphones.
Pixel phones have always tried to use various types of AI to differentiate themselves right from the beginning. With the introduction of the first Pixel, Google sold the device on being “AI-first” with the debut of the Google Assistant, and that focus has remained in the years since. There are countless examples, such as Top Shot and Night Sight on the Pixel 3, the Pixel 4’s use of on-device AI for Google Lens and the Recorder app, and more.
Perhaps the single biggest push for AI that Google made was with the Pixel 6 series, with the debut of the Tensor processor, which literally came into existence for the ability to put a bigger focus on AI, as our Abner Li explained:
But that focus on AI has always been a bit passive, with Google developing major AI advancements for the Pixel but selling them with clever marketing names or phrases.
It’s on the Pixel 8 that the word “AI” is taking the spotlight.
A leaked video posted by 91Mobiles reveals a ton of the new features coming to the Google Pixel 8 series, primarily focusing on camera features for both devices, including Audio Eraser and more. Many of the features rely heavily on AI, such as a wild new feature that allows Google Photos to literally change the faces of subjects in a photo. We’ve got more on all of the camera details in another post.
Here, we want to focus on the overall AI push Google is making, with the tagline that Pixel 8 is “engineered by Google, with AI controlled by you.”
The ad later goes on to touch on safety and security, highlighting the new Titan M2 and Tensor G3 chips, as well as Google One’s VPN. “Safety Check” is also highlighted as a way to keep you safe by starting a countdown where, at the end, your designated contacts will be notified that you didn’t check in. (This is an existing feature.)
But, after those, it circles back to AI and how it can “save you time.”
This includes a new Google Assistant feature seemingly called “Summarize,” where Google Assistant is very quickly shown with a bullet list of points that are apparently generated from a webpage being displayed in Chrome. We first uncovered evidence that Google was building out this feature back in July.
The ad then tacks on mentions of Call Screen and Hold for Me, two of Pixel’s most beloved features.
Finally, and really cementing the AI focus, Google says:
It will make you wonder, can a phone be made of magic? Nope, it’s AI. And, that’s kind of our thing.
It’s an aggressive push on AI on Google’s part, which should come as no surprise given the race for AI dominance that Google is engaged in following the explosion in popularity of AI following the debut of OpenAI’s ChatGPT last year. Google I/O was also heavily focused on AI.
Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are set to debut on October 4 alongside the Pixel Watch 2, with both phones set to bring slight price increases.
More on Google Pixel:
- Google announces October 4 event for Pixel 8 and Pixel Watch 2
- There’s actually a lot to get excited about with the Google Pixel 8
- Google is putting search at the center of Android 14 QPR1
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments