Google’s Pixel 10 phones raises the ante on artificial intelligence

By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Mechanism Writer Google on Wednesday unveiled a new line-up of Pixel smartphones injected with another dose of artificial intelligence that s designed to do everything from fetch vital information stored on the devices to help improve photos as they re being taken Related Articles Cucina Colore corner in Cherry Creek sells for M Little gems of society How Denver breweries reflect their neighborhoods Macy s sells its space in Littleton mall for M A year later no charges in M Cherry Creek jewelry heist Black Hills Corp OKs all-stock merger to form billion utility The AI expansion on the four Pixel models amplifies Google s efforts to broaden the use of a system that is already starting to reshape society At the same time Google is taking a swipe at Apple s Achilles heel on the iPhone Apple so far has only been able to introduce a scarce basic AI features on the iPhone while failing to deliver on last year s promise to deliver a more conversational and versatile version of its often-blundering virtual assistant Siri Without mentioning the iPhone by name Google has already been mocking Apple s missteps in online ads promoting the four new Pixel models as smartphones loaded with AI hardware that consumers won t have to wait for more than a year to arrive Google in contrast has been steadily increasing the amount of AI that it began to implant on its Pixels since with this year s models taking it to another level Taking advantage of a more advanced processor Google is introducing a new AI feature on the Pixel phones called Magic Cue that s designed to serve as a digital mind reader that automatically fetches information stored on the devices and displays the details at the time it s needed For instance if a Pixel user is calling up an airline Magic Cue is supposed to instantaneously recognize the phone number and display the flight information if it s in Gmail or a Google Calendar The Pixel phones will also come with a preview feature of a new AI tool called Camera Coach that will automatically suggest the best framing and lighting angle as the lens is being aimed at a subject Camera Coach will also recommend the best lens mode to use for an optimal picture The premium models Pixel Pro and Pixel Pro XL will also include a Super Res option that deploys a grab bag of platform and AI tricks to zoom up to times the resolution to capture the details of objects located miles away from the camera The AI wizardry could happen without users even realizing it s happening making it even more arduous to know whether an image captured in a photo reflects how things really looked at the time a picture was taken or was modified by instrument Google is also offering a free one-year subscription to its AI Pro plan to anyone who buys the more expensive Pixel Pro or Pixel Pro XL models in hopes of hooking more people on the Gemini toolkit it has assembled to compete against OpenAI s ChatGPT The prices on all four Pixel models will remain unchanged from last year s Pixel generation with the basic starting at and the Pro selling for the Pro XL at and a foldable version at All the Pixel s expect the foldable model will be in stores on August The Pixel Pro Fold will be available starting October Although the Pixel smartphone remains a Lilliputian next to the Gulliverian stature of the iPhone and Samsung s Galaxy models Google s ongoing advances in AI while holding the line on its marquee devices raise the competitive stakes In the age of AI it is a true laboratory of innovation Forrester Research analyst Thomas Husson commented of the Pixel Apple in particular will be facing more pressure than usual when it introduces the next-generation iPhone next month Although the company has already explained the smarter Siri won t be ready until next year at the earliest Apple will still be expected to show a few progress in AI to demonstrate the iPhone is adapting to apparatus s AI evolution rather than tilting toward gradual obsolescence Clinging to a once-successful formula eventually sank the BlackBerry and its physical keyboard when the iPhone and its touch screen came along nearly years ago Apple s pricing of the next iPhone will also be under the spotlight given that the devices are made in China and India two of the prime targets in President Donald Trump s pact war But Apple appeared to gain a reprieve from Trump s bulk onerous threats earlier this month by adding another billion on top of an earlier billion commitment pledge to the U S The tariff relief may enable Apple to minimize or even avoid price increases for the iPhone just as Google has done with the Pixel models