Google Unveils New AI-Powered Phones and Gadgets, Marketing & Advertising News, ET BrandEquity

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Alphabet subsidiary Google on Tuesday unveiled a line of new Pixel smartphones that feature deeper integration of artificial intelligence technology as the company seeks to incorporate AI into its hardware.

The event at Alphabet’s Bay View campus in Mountain View, California, follows a tradition that Google has maintained with each version of Pixel — the company’s flagship smartphone launched in October 2016 — by announcing a new version will launch in the fall.

The earlier date is Google’s latest attempt to keep pace with rivals in introducing artificial intelligence features into its consumer products, and comes ahead of Apple’s planned launch of a new iPhone in September.

In June, Apple announced that devices, including the latest version of the iPhone, would be enhanced with new features, including “Apple Intelligence,” a series of generative AI-powered features within native apps, and integration with ChatGPT, a chatbot developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI.

“We’ve seen a lot of AI announcements in a short period of time recently. I don’t think you want to sit on that for too long if you’re Google,” said IDC analyst Linn Huang.

New AI integrations announced Tuesday include a Pixel-only feature that lets users search for information stored in screenshots. Android users can now also run Gemini, Google’s chatbot, as an overlay on another app to answer questions or generate content.

“There were so many promises, so many coming soon, and so little real-world utility when it comes to AI, so today we’re getting real,” said Rick Osterloh, senior vice president of devices and services at Google. “We’re fully in the Gemini era.”

Employees demonstrated several new Gemini features live, such as the voice conversation feature, but trying to use Gemini to compare a photo of a concert poster to a calendar app took three tries and two devices.

The Pixel 9, the entry-level model with a 6.3-inch display, will start at $799, $100 more than the previous model. It and the 6.8-inch Pixel 9 Pro XL will start shipping in late August, a company spokesperson said. The Pixel 9 Pro, which has additional features like a better camera, and the foldable Pixel 9 Pro Fold will ship in September.

The new gadgets will be available for pre-order starting Tuesday.

Google has less than 1% market share of global smartphone shipments in the second quarter of 2024, according to IDC. That’s far behind Samsung, which has 18.9% market share, and Apple, which has 15.8% market share, according to IDC. That’s partly because Google has entered fewer markets and is focusing on higher-priced segments.

According to IDC, in the United States Google is the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer with a share of 4.5%.

But the Pixel line also allowed Google to showcase its progress and spur the developer ecosystem around the Android operating system that device makers like Samsung use.

Android is one of several front lines where Google is battling competitors to embed AI in ways that consumers will use. In May, it debuted a series of improvements to core products like Search.

The company’s engineers redesigned the Pixel’s housing, improved the camera, and installed Google’s new Tensor G4 chip.

Google also on Tuesday unveiled new versions of its Pixel Watch 3 smartwatch and Pixel Buds Pro 2 wireless headphones.

Google has also added a “Loss of Pulse” feature to the new Pixel Watch. The feature uses algorithms to determine if the user’s heart has stopped and if emergency services can be contacted. The feature will be available in the UK and the EU.

Also Tuesday, Google and Peloton, the fitness equipment company known for its stationary bikes, announced a content partnership in which subscribers to Google’s Fitbit Premium service will get access to Peloton’s library of workout classes.