Catching up with Apple's intelligence: Google's Android system first equipped with Gemini AI assistant, releasing the most powerful AI Pixel flagship phone

Author: Li Dan

Source: Hard AI

Just two weeks after Apple's "limited edition" launch of the personal intelligent system Apple Intelligence on the iPhone, Google quickly followed suit and began a large-scale implementation of the Android operating system's large language model (LLM) artificial intelligence (AI), launching its own model-supported AI assistant on the new generation flagship smartphones.

On Tuesday, August 13th, Google announced the integration of the Gemini AI assistant into the Android system, meaning that Android devices will have new AI features supported by the Gemini assistant. At the same time, Google released the first batch of flagship smartphones Pixel with Gemini AI support - the Pixel 9 series.

In a blog post by Sameer Samat, President of the Android Ecosystem at Google, he stated:

"We have completely rebuilt the assistant experience with Gemini, so you can talk to it as naturally as you would with a human. It can understand your intent, follow your thoughts, and complete complex tasks."

Samat mentioned that starting from this Tuesday, users can summon Gemini's overlay at the top of the app they are using to ask questions about the content on the screen. Google introduced that the Gemini assistant will be available on hundreds of smartphone models from dozens of device manufacturers.

Media comments pointed out that while previous versions of Android had some AI features, this is the first time Google has emphasized new features driven by on-device LLM. Google currently does not generate much revenue from its hardware business, and the latest Android features can help the company create new revenue through the Gemini AI subscription plan.

Ben Bajarin, CEO and Chief Analyst of Creative Strategies, commented that he is pleased to hear Google talk about reimagining the entire Android operating system by deeply embedding AI into the system. This is a bet on the client-side operating system, and Google, Microsoft, and Apple are all moving forward along this path, showcasing their strong value propositions to customers.

Bajarin believes that Google's positioning of AI is to help people complete daily tasks more easily and quickly, which is the right direction. With just one feature, everything a person does every day can become easier. This is the core value proposition of generative AI.

After Google announced the launch of the new AI assistant for the Android system, some netizens welcomed it on social media, saying that the Android system will make life more convenient. However, some users expressed caution, stating that no sensible person would believe that Google would protect everyone's data privacy and security, and users should have the legal right to delete the junk on these phones, especially when Google is promoting it in Europe

Gemini Live lands on Android phones first, limited to English version, targeting advanced subscribers

Google said that Gemini Live will first land on Android phones and will be limited to the English language version. Google started rolling out to Gemini's advanced subscribers on Android phones from this Tuesday, and will expand to Apple's iOS system in the coming weeks, providing more language versions. In other words, advanced subscribers of Android phones can use the English version of Gemini Live starting this Tuesday.

Google introduced that Gemini AI includes the mobile conversation experience Gemini Live, as well as a conversation overlay layer on Android. Gemini can also connect more app applications to provide daily assistance.

What can Gemini Live do? Google gave an example that users can use it to brainstorm, communicate directly with it, and find jobs that may be suitable for the skills or degrees they possess. If users want to delve deeper into a certain issue, they can even interrupt Gemini's answers midway, or pause and resume the conversation with it later. With a phone equipped with Gemini AI, it's like having a companion in your pocket to chat about new ideas or practice important conversations.

Google said that users can easily experience Gemini Live without many manual operations, such as continuing to use the Gemini App for conversations when the phone is locked, allowing them to continue the call on the go just like making a regular phone call. To make the conversation with Gemini feel more natural, Google has introduced 10 new voices for users to choose from, so users can select the Gemini tone and style that best suits them.

Gemini can utilize all Google App information, integrating into calendar reminders, YouTube Music, and other extension programs

For connected apps, Google said that Gemini can integrate with all current Google apps and tools to help users complete various tasks, and it can complete tasks without users having to switch between apps and services.

Google will launch new extension programs in the coming weeks, including Google's note and list function Keep, calendar reminder function Tasks, system and application software management and adjustment function Utilities, and extension functions on YouTube Music. Google stated that they are working to increase support for third-party extensions, which means that developers may add Gemini options to their apps in the future.

Google gave an example that if a user is hosting a dinner party, they can have Gemini find a lasagna recipe that a friend sent to them in Gmail, and ask it to add the relevant ingredients to the shopping list in Keep If the guests invited by the user are friends from college, they can ask Gemini to create a song playlist that will evoke memories of the late 1990s. Gemini can understand the requirements and provide assistance without the user providing too many details.

Gemini can use information from Google Apps to perform tasks. For example, Gemini can help users create daily exercise plans based on emails from their personal trainers, or write a new job resume for users using resumes already in Google Drive.

Google also gives an example that with the upcoming calendar extension, users will be able to take a photo of a concert flyer and let Gemini check if they have time to attend the concert. If the user is available based on their existing schedule, Gemini can set a calendar reminder to alert the user to check ticket prices at a specific time.

Android System Context Awareness Feature: Read the Screen to Answer Questions at Any Time and Interact with Multiple Mobile Apps

Google introduces that Gemini can fully integrate into the user experience of the Android system, providing more context-aware features unique to the Android system. Whatever the user does on an Android phone, Gemini will be ready to help when needed. Simply long-press the power button, or say "Hey Google," and Gemini will appear, ready to provide assistance at any time.

Users can click on "Ask about this screen" for suggestions to get help about the content displayed on the screen. If the user is using YouTube, they can ask Gemini questions about the content they are watching. For example, if a user is planning to travel abroad and just watched a travel video blog, they can click on "Ask about this video" to request Gemini to provide a list of all the restaurants mentioned in the video and then have Gemini add them to Google Maps.

Since Gemini has built deep integration for the Android system, it can not only read the screen but also interact with many apps that Android phone users are already using. For instance, users can directly drag and drop images generated by Gemini into apps like Gmail and Google Messages

Four Pixel 9 smartphones equipped with Tensor G4 processor, starting at $799, foldable screen phone starting at $1799

Google unveiled four Pixel 9 smartphones at the Made by Google hardware event on Tuesday, including the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, all available for pre-order with different official release dates.

The entry-level Pixel 9 features a 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED display, Google's new Tensor G4 processor, two rear cameras with 500,000 pixels standard wide-angle and 480,000 pixels ultra-wide-angle, 12GB of RAM, and comes in four colors. It is priced at $799, with a base storage capacity of 128GB, $100 more than the starting price of the previous generation Pixel 8 when it was launched on August 22.

The upgraded Pixel 9 Pro features the same processor as the Pixel 9, but with higher RAM, a screen refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz, a third rear camera with 480,000 pixels telephoto, higher selfie resolution, and supports 8K video recording. The Pixel 9 Pro starts at $999 with 128GB of storage, and was launched on September 4.

The high-end Pixel 9 Pro XL features a larger 6.8-inch OLED display and a larger 5060mAh battery, with the same camera, processor, and RAM configuration as the Pixel 9 Pro. The Pixel 9 Pro XL also supports faster wired charging. Google claims that with a 45W USB-C charger, it can charge up to 70% in about 30 minutes. The Pixel 9 Pro XL was launched on August 22 with 128GB of storage, starting at $1099.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is Google's second foldable phone, featuring the same Tensor G4 processor as the Pixel 9 Pros and 16GB of RAM Due to the limitations of the foldable screen, the three rear cameras of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold are equipped with sensors with relatively low resolution, unable to shoot 8K videos, with a maximum of 4K. When unfolded, its foldable screen expands from 6.3 inches to 8 inches, with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold starts at $1799, with 256GB of storage space, and will be released on September 4th