Google is set to launch its new Pixel 9 smartphone series at the upcoming Made By Google event next week. This annual showcase highlights Google’s latest innovations in smartphone technology. Following last year’s Pixel 8, which introduced improved displays, cameras, software, and Google’s custom Tensor Mobile chip, the Pixel 9 is expected to further advance these features. The event will demonstrate Google’s vision for modern smartphones, with industry watchers eager to see what new capabilities the tech giant will unveil.
Google’s Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro were marketed as AI-first smartphones, showcasing how generative AI could be integrated into mobile devices. These phones defined the introduction of AI to the mobile world. Now, a year later, as this AI-centric approach has become standard in the market, Google is poised to build on its success. With the upcoming Pixel 9 series, Google aims to further establish its vision for smartphone AI and maintain its leadership in mobile artificial intelligence technology.
This week, Google gets to do it all again except this time, it’s not about defining the market but fortifying it.
Google has showcased several AI tools on the Pixel platform, with similar features available from various Android manufacturers. These tools include the ability to remove, move, or edit individual elements in a photo, options to blend expressions between photos for the best composite image, and advanced tools to clean up audio recorded in videos.
You’ve got tools that can transcribe audio, quickly summarize information from web pages and emails, and even let you search using just a screenshot or a portion of your screen. AI is there to help you screen annoying spam calls, act as your personal translator when you’re on the go, and suggest replies, topics, and more while you’re creating content right from your phone.
These features first made their appearance on the Pixel 8 lineup before spreading across the entire ecosystem. Interestingly, Google’s circle-to-search feature actually debuted on Samsung’s Galaxy AI platform, which not only adopted many of Pixel’s features but also introduced its own innovations. Other manufacturers quickly followed suit, rolling out their own AI tools, while chipmakers made sure that support for AI routines was built right into the hardware.
All of these advancements followed the path Google set with the Pixel 8, reflecting the same vision and values. This week, that direction is set to be highlighted even more with the launch of the Pixel 9 and a host of new AI features.
There’s also a competitive edge to the rise of genre-defining AI in Android, and it’s worth noting that Apple hasn’t made a significant presence in this area.
How big of a challenge will Apple’s iPhone pose in shaping generative AI for the 2024/25 smartphone season? Two crucial factors will be how quickly new handsets are adopted and the availability of cutting-edge software.”
Gurman, in addition to confirming the four iPhone models set to be unveiled in September—the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max—also hints at a potential boost in sales and a greater-than-usual uptake of new handsets. This is a key factor for evaluating the impact of Apple’s somewhat awkwardly named intelligence suite. Unlike last year’s top-tier iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple won’t be extending its generative AI
tools to older models.
No new hardware means no new adoption for Apple Intelligence. According to Apple’s latest financial projections, the company isn’t anticipating a major sales boost. While there will be new handsets, don’t expect a flood of upgrades that would significantly expand the user base for Apple’s AI initiatives.
Without a surge of existing iPhone users jumping on board, Apple will find it challenging to shift the conversation about generative AI on smartphones away from the direction set by Google and its Android partners.
Google’s Pixel launch occurred just two weeks after the release of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Apple’s September event didn’t showcase generative AI or delve into new frontiers. In a sense, the iPhone 15 series was one of the last major smartphones to debut without AI features. Apple’s first opportunity to discuss AI for the iPhone came at its Worldwide Developer Conference in June.
Apple Intelligence, with its somewhat awkward backronym, won’t be available right away. It will only launch with the iPhone 16 family in September, and won’t be backported to older models except for the 2023 iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Even after the iPhone 16’s release, Apple Intelligence won’t be fully ready. Instead, a limited set of tools will be included in an October iOS update, a basic ChatGPT feature will arrive by the end of the year, and the complete suite showcased at WWDC won’t be available until the first half of 2025.
Apple has still to catch up with the first generation of AI smartphones,
Meanwhile, Google is advancing Android with the second generation of AI smartphones set to be unveiled. As it stands, Google will play a key role in determining the future direction of AI.
