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A special Pixie dust may give Pixel 9 an immediate edge over other phones

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Jan 26, 2024, 7:01 AM

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Android Google

A special Pixie dust may give Pixel 9 an immediate edge over other phones

Google is working on a new AI-powered smart assistant that may debut on the Pixel 9 next year.

The assistant will be powered by Google's AI model Gemini, per a paywalled The Information report, according to 9to5Google. The most efficient version of Gemini, Gemini Nano, is already running on the Pixel 8 Pro.

Today's report claims that Google wants to incorporate the AI model into more of its products. As part of those efforts, the company wants Gemini to power an AI assistant called Pixie which, unlike Google Assistant, will be exclusive to Pixel devices.

The new assistant will use data from Google products like Gmail and Maps to provide more personalized help than Google Assistant.

If that sounds like something you have heard before, it's because the preliminary description indicates that it's like Assistant with Bard, Google's personalized smart assistant announced in October which combines Assistant’s capabilities with the generative artificial intelligence chatbot Bard.

Given that Pixie is expected to arrive next year, it's apparently not the same as Assistant with Bard. Google recently said that Gemini is going to make Assistant with Bard better by brining new capabilities to it next year. Pixie may be a spruced-up version of Assistant with Bard, but nothing can be said with certainty right now.

Google reportedly plans to bring AI features to other devices as well

Moving on, the report says that Google wants to bring AI features to its lower-end smartphones and devices like smartwatches as well. There are internal talks about glasses that can use AI to identify objects a wearer is seeing. The wearable could even advise users on how to solve a math problem or use a tool. This seems to indicate that the glasses will have a camera but it can't be deduced whether output will be done by voice or display.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.