US search giant Google LLC has revealed its latest Pixel 9 smartphone lineup, equipped with updated artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities from its chatbot Gemini, as part of its efforts to leverage the technology.
The new device includes a software upgrade that enables AI functions specific only to Pixel phones, such as a Screenshot feature that allows Android users to search and gather information from screenshots they took manually.
With the inclusion of on-device AI, the Alphabet Inc.-owned company increased the RAM size for the new series to support the feature appropriately, considering it requires large amounts of memory to run.
Pixel 9 will have 12 gigabytes (GB) of RAM, while the Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold will receive 16GB.
Google also added a new image-generation app, Pixel Studio, which uses text prompts to create illustrations, although it does not operate on-device.
Furthermore, the Mountain View, California-based firm has made it possible for users to overlay its Gemini large language model (LLM) on top of other apps should they need it to look up information or generate content.
The company said the function will be available to hundreds of smartphones from dozens of device makers.
The Pixel 9 will be available on August 22 and retail for $799. The Pixel 9 Pro and Pro XL will start at $999 and $1,099, respectively. The Pro will ship next month, and the XL will arrive alongside the Pixel 9. The Pro Fold will start at $1,799 and be available on September 4.
Google Racing to Incorporate AI Into Hardware
The summer launch of the Pixel 9 breaks the device’s traditional autumn release schedule, which has been in place since its introduction in 2016.
The move indicated Google’s race to integrate AI features into its customer-facing products and came ahead of Apple Inc.’s upcoming launch of its iPhone 16 lineup in September, which is expected to feature the firm’s homegrown AI, Apple Intelligence, and the new A18 series chips.
The Pixel series has helped the search engine present innovations and drive developers’ interest in its Android operating system (OS), which is used by major smartphone makers such as Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. Over 80% of smartphones worldwide are currently running on Android.
Google’s OS is a significant player in its efforts to keep up with rivals in leveraging AI in ways that would benefit consumers. In May, the company announced a suite of upgrades to key products, including its search engine.
The tech giant had previously integrated AI capabilities into Android, but this is the first year it focused significantly on new features powered by on-device LLM.
