Google recently launched its Pixel 10 smartphones which feature advanced AI capabilities, updated designs and improved camera technology.
AI is the primary battlefield among smartphone manufacturers and Google currently owns a lead over rival Apple’s nascent attempts.
The new models are the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Pixel 10 Pro XL, all equipped with the latest Google Tensor G5 chip and its Gemini Nano AI model.
The Tensor chip is manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC). Google stated it’s 34 per cent faster than its predecessor and has a 60 per cent more powerful AI-dedicated chip for running Gemini tasks.
The baseline Pixel 10 starts at $799 while the Pixel 10 Pro is $999 and the flagship Pixel 10 Pro XL is priced at $1,199. All three are available for preorder now with shipping and in-store availability slated for 28 August.
The Pixel 10 Pro models come with a one-year subscription to Google’s AI Pro plan, which gives users extra Gemini features and usually costs around $19 per month.
Google is also releasing an updated version of its folding phone, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, that starts at $1,799. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is also available for pre-order and hits shelves 9 October.
Magic Cue
Among the Pixel 10′s new AI features is Magic Cue which integrates across apps to provide timely, context-aware information and actions, such as displaying flight details during calls or finding photos instantly.
With a user’s permission, Google stated the latest version of Gemini Nano and its Tensor G5 chip work together to run Magic Cue privately and securely on the devices.
For the smartphone camera, Google announced Camera Coach which uses Gemini AI to guide users on photo composition and framing while also recommending the best angle and lighting.
The Pro models include a new photography feature called Pro Res Zoom which taps into AI to make distant subjects appear clearer by generating details which were never actually captured by the camera.
Google explained Pro Res Zoom uses the Tensor G5 chip and a new generative imaging model to recover and refine intricate details.
It stated the Pixel 10 lineup introduces the first 5x telephoto lens in its tier with fast autofocus, 10x optical quality, and up to 20x super res zoom while Pixel 10 Pro models use Pro Res Zoom up to 100x.
The Pixel 10 series also has Gemini Live which is a Google product designed to enable back-and-forth chat about what the phone is displaying on its screen in real time.
The Pixel 10’s 6.3-inch display features 3,000 nits, up from 2,700 last year. The Pixel Pro models’ 6.3-inch and 6.8-inch displays can reach a maximum brightness of 3,300 nits.
Google also announced its Pixel Watch 4, which starts at $349 and is available 9 October. It also features 3,000 nits of peak brightness. It comes equipped with Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip which enables more on-device AI features like smart replies.
Google added a new satellite SOS mode which lets users of LTE-enabled watches call for emergency services even without cellular service.
It also comes equipped with new health and fitness features and a new AI Health Coach to better compete with Apple’s devices.
Analyst view
Leo Gebbie, Principal Analyst at CCS Insight, told Mobile World Live Google’s wide-ranging hardware refresh “further develops its position as a leader in the smartphone and wearables categories, and the company is arguably positioning on-device AI more effectively than any of its rivals”.
“This was Google’s most comprehensive and wide-ranging hardware update ever and speaks to the strength of the Pixel team that it can deliver so many updates at the same time”, he said. “The strength of this portfolio is telling, and we believe that Pixel products are more attractive than ever to both returning and new customers”.
Gebbie noted the Magic Cue feature looks useful and “is an early step towards the much-vaunted agentic AI experiences which have been promised on smartphones for some time”.
“The critical question is how third-party apps will be able to leverage Magic Cue, and whether the feature will be able to read the necessary information it needs from these apps in exchange”.
He stated Google’s latest hardware and software updates are impressive, “and speak to a company executing strongly on its product strategy which has not always historically been true.
“The real question is how ambitious Google wants to be here”, he said. “With a more aggressive approach, there is no reason why Pixel devices could not pick up a far greater market share. However, Google has always seemed content using its hardware as a means to launch software features and to keep its hardware partners honest”.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: Google
