Google is beating Apple on smartphone AI
Apple teased a smarter Siri but it's MIA, and other Apple Intelligence offerings are meh. Meanwhile, Samsung is fusing Gemini into its Galaxy phones, and the new Google Pixels are chock-full of AI this and AI that. Tools we'd actually use.
The coming Pixel 10, announced on Wednesday by Alphabet subsidiary Google and available Aug. 28, dressed me in an AI-generated blazer right in the camera app. A convincing clone of my voice fluently discussed lunch in German, which I don't speak. When I called United customer service, flight reservation information automatically appeared on screen.
The Pixel holds just a fraction of the smartphone market—and that's unlikely to change, given how attached we are to our mobile devices—but it's leagues ahead of the iPhone in AI. In a recent ad, Google mocked Apple's smart-Siri delay, suggesting iPhone owners change to the new Pixel 10.
Regardless of which side you're on, don't we all just want to know what AI can really do for us on a phone? After I checked out the Pixel 10, I have an answer: information that appears right when you need it, real-time translation in your own voice, a virtual photographer directing your shots, a personalized fitness coach and more.
What can't it do? Turn those iPhone green text bubbles into blue ones.
Google is introducing new devices, including the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro, that come with useful AI-powered software.
Google Pixel phones have always been more about wow-inducing software than hardware—and that includes the new Pixel 10 ($799 and up) and Pixel 10 Pro ($999 and up). But you have to rely heavily on Google's own apps, like Gmail and Maps.
For iPhone users including me, the most jealousy-inducing feature is Magic Cue. It rifles through your inbox, calendar and texts, then surfaces information when it thinks you need it.
Say Mary texts: 'What's that coffee shop Ben recommended?" Magic Cue can surface the recommendation from your conversation with Ben. If Mary then asks whether you want to try it on Sunday, a shortcut to view your calendar will appear.
Magic Cue rifles through your inbox, texts and more and surfaces information when it thinks it's relevant. One example: flight-reservation details when you call the airline.
When you call a restaurant, the phone app can pull up reservation details from your email. When you open Google Maps just before the reservation, navigating to the restaurant takes only a quick tap.
Voice Translate also ups the wow. This live language translator (with real-time voice clone) is similar to the Meet function I tested earlier this year. On the Pixel, it works right in the phone app, translating English, Spanish, German, Japanese, Italian, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Russian, Hindi and Indonesian.
I tried it with a German speaker, choosing his preferred language. I spoke English and, after a slight delay, heard my own voice speaking German. A transcription of our conversation, in my native English, appeared on screen.
The German-to-English translation wasn't perfect, but I always understood the gist. I could have used this tool when I lived in France, struggling with administrative tasks as a non-native speaker—like convincing my landlord the water heater was broken.
The Pixel 10's photo experience is infused with AI. The Camera Coach is actually unsettling at first. A Google representative pointed the camera at me and hit the AI camera button. After about 10 seconds, it asked what we wanted in the photo: a full-body portrait, a close-up or some more novel plan.
We tapped 'get inspired" and it generated a rough guide image of me, sitting more relaxed on the sofa. Then it gave the photographer some instructions: Have me sit down, place me on the left side of the frame, move to capture the scene lower and at an angle, use Portrait Mode, then take the shot from my waist up.
The final photo looked pretty good. Maybe something I could use on LinkedIn. But did it convey the right seriousness?
In editing mode, you can tap Ask Photos then type or say instructions. 'Make it look better" might touch up the photo, but I went with 'Make it look professional": It brightened the lighting and turned up the blur. It gave me four options in around 20 seconds.
'Send Nicole to outer space" changed the background to the Milky Way. 'Add a business suit" put me in a virtual blazer. Though some variations made me look a little ragged, one result was convincing.
I was actually more into Google's other Gemini-powered coach, launching in October: personalized health and fitness insights for Fitbit trackers and Pixel Watches. The health coach can adjust workout plans based on real-time data, such as last night's sleep. Mention back pain during a check-in, and the coach will change its suggestions.
The Apple Watch's coming Workout Buddy is less AI coach, and more AI hype person. It can tell you when you hit a personal best, but it can't craft a workout for you.
Google says Pixel's advanced AI features can 'make magic happen." Samsung prominently labels its phones with 'Galaxy AI." Apple's website highlights 'AI-opening possibilities."
People aren't demanding AI features in their phones just yet, says Sheng Win Chow, an analyst at Canalys, which tracks smartphone sales. But Google is betting they soon will. The race continues and for now, Apple has a lot of catching up to do.
Write to Nicole Nguyen at nicole.nguyen@wsj.com
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