Google’s new Pixel 10 lineup reveals simply how a lot enjoyable (and simply how helpful) AI will be on a cellphone. If Apple actually needs the iPhone 17 lineup to shine, it ought to steal just a few pages from Google’s playbook.
The iPhone 17 wants greater than spectacular new {hardware} to face out from the group. It wants new AI options to make an influence, particularly with the Pixel 10 elevating the bar.
iPhone 17 desperately wants these Pixel 10 AI options
As seen on this week’s Made by Google occasion, the most recent flagship Pixel telephones spotlight how AI can resolve actual issues, not simply sound futuristic. From surfacing related data routinely when on calls and messages to taking the effort out of picture modifying, when carried out proper, AI can remodel how we use our telephones.
In the meantime, Apple has struggled with Apple Intelligence. And it’s not simply concerning the delayed Siri improve. Apple Intelligence simply doesn’t pack sufficient compelling AI options to face out. With the iPhone 17, Apple ought to contemplate copying just a few AI options from the Pixel 10 playbook to shine.
Desk of contents: Pixel 10 AI options that iPhone 17 wants
1. Magic Cue
Magic Cue is among the finest AI options on the Pixel 10. It gives personalised options based mostly on the content material in your display screen. For instance, as Google explains, if a good friend texts you asking about your flight particulars, Magic Cue will floor the related data immediately so that you can share. Likewise, Magic Cue can discover your flight particulars if it is advisable name your airline for some purpose.
Magic Cue can pull related data from Gmail, Calendar, Messages, YouTube, screenshots and different Google apps. All of the processing occurs on-device and securely, guaranteeing there’s no threat to your information (which sounds very Apple-like). Plus, Google guarantees to develop the AI characteristic to assist third-party apps.
Magic Cue leverages Gemini Nano and its deep integration throughout Google’s apps and companies. Apple must also look into providing the same characteristic as a part of Apple Intelligence on the iPhone 17. A characteristic like this might seamlessly pull particulars from Messages, Mail, Calendar and different first-party apps to make on a regular basis duties sooner. And if there’s any firm that may pull off such a characteristic securely, it’s Apple.
2. Voice Translate
One other cool AI characteristic on the Pixel 10 is Voice Translate. Samsung telephones can already translate your or the caller’s voice in actual time to your most well-liked language, making worldwide calls much less of a trouble. Google’s implementation of Voice Translate goes a step additional: It makes use of on-device AI to translate your name in actual time in a voice much like the speaker’s.
That is one other nice instance of what deep AI integration can obtain in telephones. Voice Translate on the Pixel 10 works in a number of languages, together with translating to or from English, Spanish, German, Japanese, French, Hindi and Swedish.
Apple is bringing Dwell Translation to the Cellphone app and FaceTime calls with iOS 26. It can work for one-to-one calls. However not like Google’s implementation, Dwell Translation on the iPhone or Mac gained’t mimic the speaker’s voice. As an alternative, it makes use of a synthesized voice.
3. Pixel Screenshots acquire NotebookLM integration
OK, Pixel Screenshots is just not a brand new characteristic — it debuted on the 2024 Pixel 9. However with the Pixel 10, Google is making the characteristic even higher by including NotebookLM integration.
NotebookLM is an AI-powered app from Google that may act as your analysis and note-taking assistant. You may add notes, paperwork, PDFs and URLs, and the app will create a personalised AI-powered pocket book from the data. From there, you may ask context-aware questions, request detailed explanations and extra. For college students, the app can considerably enhance their analysis workflows.
On the Pixel 10, Pixel Screenshots ties neatly into NotebookLM. Take a screenshot of a PDF you’re finding out, and if Pixel Screenshots ascertains that it’s value including to a pocket book, you’ll immediately get a immediate about it.
The mixing additionally extends to the Recoder app. Document a category, and you may ship the transcript straight to NotebookLM.
iOS 26 will permit utilizing Visible Intelligence on screenshots. However that’s nowhere near what Pixel Screenshots can do. And the NotebookLM integration solely makes it higher.
Apple doesn’t but have a NotebookLM-style AI app for the iPhone or Mac. Contemplating how helpful such a device is for analysis and productiveness, Cupertino ought to strongly contemplate constructing one thing related into Apple Intelligence.
4. Rephrasing sentences with voice utilizing Pixel 10’s AI
Each Pixels and iPhones assist on-device voice typing, making speech-to-text a breeze. With the Pixel 10, Google is leveraging its deep AI integration to make the expertise higher by including Writing Instruments assist.
On an iPhone, you invoke Writing Instruments by long-pressing on a textual content subject, even in case you’re utilizing voice typing to enter textual content. That’s not the case on the Pixel 10. You may straight use voice instructions to rephrase or rewrite messages.
Provided that Writing Instruments is already deeply built-in into iOS and macOS, Apple ought to be capable to simply add the identical AI performance to voice typing on the iPhone.
5. Conversational Modifying in Photographs
Photograph: Google Retailer
AI has made photograph modifying instruments way more highly effective. Now you can swap the sky’s colour, erase individuals or undesirable objects from the background, and even develop a picture seamlessly. The catch is that modifying pictures this manner will be time-consuming.
The Pixel 10 solves this downside with Conversational Modifying. In Google Photographs, you may communicate the edits you need, and the app will apply them. It can even present options about what edits you may wish to make. Once more, that is solely attainable due to Gemini AI’s superior processing of pure language.
6. Digital camera Coach
Though {hardware} makers attempt to preserve issues easy, digital camera modes on trendy smartphones are fairly complicated. Each Google and Apple present extra restraint than others, holding the variety of modes comparatively restricted. However even then, not everybody may know which mode to select when on the point of snap an image.
Digital camera Coach on the Pixel 10 takes care of this downside. It makes use of AI to find out the scene and supply options on the lighting, angle and digital camera mode to make use of. Based mostly on the scene, it offers a number of options on how one can seize the very best image. Choose the choice(s) you want, and Digital camera Coach will information you on how one can body your cellphone and the mode to pick out.
All that is once more attainable because of the deep Gemini integration on Pixel 10. Apple may take a cue from this and supply the same Apple Intelligence-powered characteristic within the iPhone 17’s Digital camera app.
Ultimate ideas: Pixel 10 AI options the iPhone wants
Google’s Pixel 10 reveals simply how transformative well-integrated AI will be. If Apple brings even a handful of those options to the iPhone 17, Apple Intelligence may really feel much less like a buzzword and extra like a real game-changer for on a regular basis customers.