Yesterday, Google released its first AI-driven phone — the Pixel 9. Today, let's take a look at the AI-related features in this phone.
Driven by Tensor G4
The Pixel 9 phone is powered by a newly customized chip — the Tensor G4. This is our most efficient chip to date, designed specifically to enhance everyday usage experiences, such as faster app launches or web browsing. The Tensor G4 was co-designed with Google DeepMind and optimized to run our most advanced AI models. It will be the first chip capable of running the Gemini Nano multi-modal processor, meaning your phone can better understand text, images, and audio.
Gemini Live
With Gemini Live, users can engage in free-flowing and fluent conversations with Gemini directly through their phone or Pixel Buds. Whether you're planning an interesting tailgate party, need help brainstorming home repair issues, or want inspiration for gift ideas, Gemini Live can provide a new level of assistance in a more intuitive and natural way.
Pixel Studio
Pixel Studio is a first-of-its-kind image generator that now allows users to bring all their creative ideas to life from scratch right on their phone — it’s truly a creative canvas. It is powered by combining an on-device diffusion model running on Tensor G4 and Google’s cloud-based Imagen 3 text-to-image model. With an optimized user interface, users can easily input prompts, change styles, and edit, quickly bringing their creativity into conversations with friends and family.
Pixel Screenshots
Pixel Screenshots is an exclusive application for Pixel 9 that allows users to remember more without extra steps, helping them save, organize, and recall important information for future use. For example, if a user has a friend who loves squirrels and their birthday is coming up, the user might browse gifts on Google Chrome and take screenshots of squirrel-themed shirts, coasters, and other related items. Pixel Screenshots analyzes the content of these images, making this information searchable within the app. The user can simply open the app and search for "squirrels," and the results will appear. Even better, the app will also include links where these items were found along with a summary of related information for easy reference.
Better Weather App
Checking the weather is one of the most common things people do on their phones, so Google uses AI technology to make this experience more useful and enjoyable. The Pixel Weather app is thoughtfully designed to provide hyper-accurate weather forecasts. Through Gemini Nano, the app generates customized AI weather reports to help users understand the day's weather conditions.
Clear Calling & Call Notes
Clear Calling further enhances sound quality, and the new feature "Call Notes" sends a private summary and full call transcript shortly after you hang up. Thus, the next time you receive a callback from a mechanic, you don't have to scramble for a pen and paper. To protect privacy, "Call Notes" runs entirely on-device, and all participants are notified when you activate this feature.
Camera Improvements
- Add Me
With outstanding camera performance and a redesigned imaging pipeline, your photos and videos will capture the world around you more accurately. Google has also added AI features to help you take perfect pictures—whether getting everyone in a group photo or shooting zoomed-in video. Usually, there's always a designated photographer left out of the group shot. With the "Add Me" feature, you can take a picture that includes everyone present—including the photographer—without needing a tripod or asking a stranger for help.
- Panorama
Google has rebuilt the panorama feature to capture detail-rich photos, even in low-light conditions. This is the highest-quality low-light panorama available on any smartphone.
- Magic Editor
The "Magic Editor" in Google Photos has added editing features that allow users to take ideal photos. The "Auto Frame" feature can re-compose the shot to make the photo more perfect, and users can also reimagine their photos by simply entering what they want—such as adding wildflowers to an open field—turning creativity into reality.
- Video Boost
The "Video Boost" function is available on all Pro models, doubling the speed of processing night vision videos after uploading. On the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, users can record high-resolution zoomed-in videos with a 48-megapixel 5x telephoto lens, and the "Super Res Zoom Video" function allows for up to 20x zoom.
- Zoom Enhance
"Zoom Enhance" intelligently fills the gaps between pixels and predicts details to achieve high-quality post-capture zoom effects.
- Made You Look
The "Made You Look" feature on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold helps attract children's attention and get them to smile at the camera. When this feature is turned on and the camera is unfolded, an eye-catching visual effect (such as a bright yellow chick) will play on the outer screen. This visual effect dynamically appears on the outer screen to keep children's attention, helping users capture the perfect shot.
Price
This has nothing to do with AI, but it is still important. Pre-orders for the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro XL start today, with starting prices of $799, $999, and $1099, respectively. The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL will hit the shelves at the Google Store and its retail partners on August 22. The Pixel 9 Pro will be available in the U.S. on September 4, alongside the launch of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and other markets will follow in the coming weeks.