Pixel phones claim a scant portion of a high-end smartphone market ruled by Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi.
Google unveiled the new Pixel 10 smartphones that promise more artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, as it seeks to elbow out competition in the emerging AI-assistant market.
The line-up of new products revealed on Wednesday included a foldable phone, a Pixel smartwatch, and ear buds, all synced to work with AI and each other.
Pixel phones claim a scant portion of the high-end smartphone market ruled by Apple, Huawei, Samsung and Xiaomi.
Android
However, custom Google hardware is an opportunity for the internet giant to highlight what is possible with its Android mobile operating system and the Gemini AI assistant.
While Samsung routinely ranks as the world’s top smartphone seller, its products run on Android software with the South Korean company also using Gemini for its AI capabilities.
“Initially, Google Pixel devices were designed as a technological showcase to limit Android fragmentation and accelerate innovation,” Forrester principal analyst Thomas Husson told AFP.
“Ten years later, the strategic challenge is still not to become the market leader, but to demonstrate the value of Google’s integrated ecosystem.”
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AI competition
The tactic promises to promote the use of Google’s platform by handset makers and is a spin on the way Apple ties together its iPhones and other devices with its software.
AI built into new Pixel phones lets Gemini AI assistant look through the cameras to “see” what users see, answering questions or providing tips about locations, objects or situations, according Tyler Kugler, a group product manager at the Pixel AI team.
Google is not the only one putting AI in phones. South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung has made AI a centrepiece of its Galaxy smartphone line and recently released a new Galaxy Z Fold7. Apple, Xiaomi and Honor have also enhanced their phones with AI capabilities.
Smart watches
The search giant’s product team described the new Pixel Watch 4 as a redesigned experience that marks the biggest update to the line.
Features include smartwatch fitness tracking fine-tuned to distinguish between activities such as walking, cycling or playing tennis.
The Pixel Watch also enables users to command the Gemini AI assistant from their wrist. While other brands also have their iterations of a smart watch, battery life is critical to ensure that the features are available and not hampered by a depleted battery.
Pricing
With Samsung already having launched their foldable, Huawei is expected to launch the second edition of its Trifold Mate XT and the GT5 watch series in Paris next month.
Pixel 10 prices start at $799, with the Pixel Pro Fold model starting at $1,799. Google devices are not officially available in South Africa.
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