At the recent Made by Google event, Google introduced its new Pixel 9 series smartphones, featuring the latest Tensor G4 chip. This chip enhances everyday tasks like app usage and web browsing, thanks to its advanced design and optimization.
Tensor G4 Chip
Google said the Tensor G4, developed with Google DeepMind, is engineered to run advanced AI models like Gemini Nano with Multimodality, enhancing text, image, and audio understanding.
The Pixel 9 models feature upgraded memory, with 12GB of RAM in the Pixel 9 and 16GB in the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL.
Gemini Live
Google has introduced Gemini Live for Gemini Advanced subscribers. Owners of the Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold get a year of Gemini Advanced with their purchase, allowing them to use Gemini for tasks such as event planning and brainstorming through their phone or Pixel Buds.
AI Features in Pixel 9 Series
Pixel Studio: Lets users create images from scratch with an on-device diffusion model and Google’s Imagen 3, featuring an intuitive interface for easy prompting and editing.
Pixel Screenshots: Exclusive to Pixel 9, organizes and recalls screenshots by analyzing content, including links and summaries, for easy retrieval.
Enhanced Weather App: The Pixel Weather app provides precise forecasts with AI-generated reports using Gemini Nano for enhanced accuracy and engagement.
Clearer Calls and Note-Taking: Clear Calling enhances audio quality, while Call Notes offers a summary and transcript of calls, ensuring privacy with on-device processing for tracking conversations.
Satellite SOS for Emergencies: Enables emergency calls via satellite without cellular service, available in the U.S. free for the first two years.
Pixel 9 AI Camera Features
HDR+ Imaging Pipeline: The updated HDR+ imaging pipeline improves photo quality by optimizing exposure, tone mapping, sharpening, and contrast for more accurate textures, shadows, and skin tones.
Super Res Zoom Video: The Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL offer up to 20x Super Res Zoom in Night Sight Video or Video Boost, combining advanced telephoto and machine learning for detailed images in any light, with Video Boost providing 8K video, 33MP stills, and 4K zoom in post-production.
Add Me Feature: Add Me ensures everyone is included in group photos. After taking an initial group photo, the feature guides a second photographer to recreate the composition so that everyone, including the photographer, is included in a single image.
Reimagine in Magic Editor: The Reimagine tool in Magic Editor lets users describe changes they want to see in their photos, such as altering grass, skies, or indoor decor. The feature then applies these changes based on the description.
Auto Frame in Magic Editor: Auto Frame uses AI to enhance photo composition by generating framing options and expanding the view with generative AI to fill in gaps around the subject.
Night Sight in Panorama: Night Sight now extends to Panorama mode, delivering higher-quality low-light panoramas of landscapes and cityscapes with an updated user interface.
Zoom Enhance: Zoom Enhance allows for detailed post-capture zoom by intelligently filling in pixel gaps and predicting fine details. This feature is available on the Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and will be rolling out to the Pixel 8 Pro.
Made You Look: The Made You Look feature on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold captures children’s attention by displaying engaging visuals on the outer screen, encouraging them to look at the camera and smile for better photos.
Pixel 9 Series Accessibility Features
Google continues to prioritize accessibility innovations, working closely with the disability community to enhance features on its Pixel phones.
Guided Frame for Better Photos: Guided Frame, now available directly from camera settings (formerly through TalkBack), provides spoken instructions for capturing well-framed photos, with improved object recognition, face filtering, and focus for users with blindness or low vision.
Enhanced Magnifier App: The Magnifier app, available on Google Play for Pixel 5 and newer models, uses AI to enhance visual accessibility. It allows users to:
- Search for specific words in their surroundings.
- Use a picture-in-picture format to view details and context simultaneously.
- Choose from different lenses (macro or wide-angle) for various needs.
- Activate Selfie Illumination for using the front-facing camera as a mirror.
New Live Transcribe Mode for Foldable Phones: Live Transcribe now includes a dual-screen mode for foldable phones like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. This feature lets users view transcriptions on both screens, improving visibility during conversations and meetings.
Expanded Language Support for Live Caption and Live Transcribe: Google has added support for Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Turkish, and Vietnamese to Live Caption, which provides real-time captions for audio across all apps.
Live Transcribe now supports these languages offline, along with 15 others, while still functioning in over 120 languages with an internet connection.
Availability
The Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL are available for pre-order starting today, August 14, 2024, on Flipkart, Croma, and Reliance Retail, with official sales beginning on August 22. The Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel Buds Pro 2, and Pixel Watch 3 will be released in India later this year.