What are the Google Pixel 9 AI features?
2024 was a big year for AI smartphones following the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and the Galaxy Z series. Google threw its hat in the ring by putting AI at the forefront of the Pixel 9 series launch.
Google has included a wide range of AI features in the Pixel 9 model, including:
- Multimodal Gemini Nano - Fully on-device AI model, giving you access to features offline like Pixel Recorder or Gboard’s smart replies.
- Gemini Assistant - An upgraded version of Google Assitant, Gemini Assitant can help you check if you are free to attend an event by taking a photo of the event poster.
- Pixel Weather AI summary - Alongside a dedicated weather app, AI summaries contextualise the day by letting you know if you need an umbrella or something warm to wear.
- Google Keep Magic Lists - The Keep Notes app can break down what you buy for a particular recipe or what you need for an upcoming trip, alongside your usual reminders.
- Pixel screenshots - Google has made a dedicated space for screenshots, where through the use of AI, you can search for information you may have forgotten if you didn’t note it down.
- Call Notes - The Pixel 9 can transcribe and summarise your phone calls to ensure you don’t forget any important details. It's worth noting that the other user is notified if this feature is in use.
Google Pixel 9 vs Google Pixel 8: What's the difference?
Despite it being less than a year between the launches of the Google Pixel 8 in October 2023 and the Pixel 9 in August 2024, the 9 has been handed several notable upgrades. Design-wise, the side-to-side camera strip is no longer connected with the side frame, and a mostly flat design replaces the Pixel 8’s slightly curved design. The Pixel 9 shares the 8’s IP68 water and dust resistance, allowing for submersion of up to 1.5m of water for 30 minutes.
The Pixel 9's display size has been slightly increased to 6.3 inches (the same as the Pixel 7), up from 6.2. The bigger display increase comes with better brightness capabilities, which have increased to 2,700-nit peak brightness from 2000-nit in the Pixel 8.
Aside from the jump to a G4 processor from the G3, the Pixel has also seen an increase in RAM to 12GB from 8GB to help with AI’s tasking requirements.
The main camera remains the same 50MP found on the Pixel 8, but the Pixel 9 comes with a new 48MP ultra-wide camera, which finally improves the 12MP one found in its predecessor. The majority of camera improvements are found in the AI features mentioned above.
Another big improvement is the Pixel 9 battery upgrade, which arrives with a solid 4,700mAh battery, an upgrade of the Pixel 8’s 4,575mAh. In terms of charging, things aren't any different. Both the Pixel 8 and the Pixel 9 support 27W of wired charging.