Google’s New Pixel 9 Phones Are AI-Powered

Google announced the release of its Pixel 9 smartphone series, which contains a variety of new AI capabilities. The suite of phones includes the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which range in price from $799 to $1099.

The announcement came rather early. This move is likely to allow Google to announce its real-world AI capabilities ahead of Apple, which plans to launch its next iPhone in September.

All of the new phones have the custom Google Tensor G4 chip, which will not only improve everyday tasks like the speed at which an app opens but will also bring AI into the hands of each user. The Pixel 9 phones will be able to run the Gemini Nano AI model, which powers the phones to better understand text, images, and audio.

All Gemini 9 phone purchases will include a one-year subscription to Gemini Advanced. This intuitive conversational AI tool lets users access information from any app on their phone.

New to the Gemini 9 series of phones is Pixel Studio, a first-of-its-kind image generation app. Combining the phone’s Tensor G4 chip’s processing power with cloud-based models, Pixel Studio can create and update images via text prompting.

Beyond the AI capabilities, the new phones have an upgraded look and feel, are more durable, and have a repositioned and upgraded camera, allowing wider-angle images and higher-quality selfies. The display is brighter than the Pixel 8, and the battery life has grown by 20%.

This version also improves several apps. For instance, there’s a new app for sorting and finding screenshots, enhancements to the weather and note-taking apps, and a feature that lets users contact emergency services via satellite, even when they are out of cellular range.

During the announcement event, Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior vice president of devices and services, said, “There have been so many promises, so many coming-soons, and not enough real-world helpfulness when it comes to AI, which is why today we’re getting real.”