Perhaps Apple's AI fiasco wasn't so much an issue with Apple Intelligence as much as it was Apple not understanding the assignment. Look at what Google has done with AI on its Pixel phones. The point of the Camera Coach is to be helpful to Pixel users who are shooting a photo or video. The Gemini AI model used will analyze the scene and will position the user to give the photo a better chance of becoming an epic shot.
Examples of useful AI on the Pixel are the Camera Coach and the Magic Cue
The Camera Coach will move the user which results in optimal framing of the photo. The Coach will also make suggestions about making adjustments to the settings to improve the lighting or the zoom level. This is a useful AI feature unlike, say, Apple's Image Playground which really is not a useful AI tool for iPhone users.
And then there is the Magic Cue which Google promoted heavily during its most recent Pixel event. While Jimmy Fallon might not have been the best choice to host the event, Google's Senior VP of Platforms and Devices Rick Osterloh did a good job verbalizing what Google wants from its AI which is to be proactive, not reactive. And that takes us to the Pixel 10's Magic Cue feature.
When it starts working like it should, Magic Cue could be a game changer
While it has had an auspicious start and hasn't consistently turned up when and where expected, the Magic Cue is supposed to figure out what it is you are trying to do and help you do it. For example, let's say you are calling Puddle Jumpers Airlines to make a change to your reservation. The Magic Cue will know what you are doing and will automatically bring up your reservation information so that this information is right at your fingertips when needed.
Or suppose you're texting your friend Jimmy Olsen, a photographer at a local newspaper in Metropolis where you're flying into tomorrow. In his chat with you, Olsen asks what time your plane is supposed to arrive so he can pick you up. The Magic Cue is supposed to understand the request for this information and create a tap-to-insert text chip in Google Messages with all of your arrival info. See how useful and timesaving this is?
Apple finally gets the point that AI needs to make features useful to users
Perhaps Apple is finally getting the point. Apple has added Apple Intelligence infused search to several apps improving search on the Photos app, Apple Music and the Apple TV app. With iOS 26, Apple has added some new AI capabilities to Apple Maps including AI infused search. If you've updated your iPhone to iOS 26, when you open Apple Maps you might receive a popup that says, "Search The Way You Talk." Underneath it reads, "Use natural language for searches like "Find cafes with free Wi-Fi."
Apple's AI infused Search the Way You Talk feature for Apple Maps. | Image credit-PhoneArena
The advantage with this feature, as we mentioned when we first brought it to your attention this past August, is that you can use conversational language to make requests. For example, instead of typing or speaking "Restaurants open late," you might narrow your search to receive a more precise response by typing, "Show me some highly rated Italian restaurants that have outdoor seating and are open after 10 PM." The bottom line is that the new feature allows you to give Apple Maps your query exactly as you might say it. As a result, the task is more easily understood by Apple Maps without requiring the use of filters to get the answer that you want.
Do you find Apple's AI infused Search to be useful?
Absolutely as it makes it easier to find something in a app.
100%
No, I don't notice any improvement.
0%
It's too early to tell.
0%
Have you used "Search The Way You Talk" on Apple Maps yet? Did you find that it was a useful AI tool making it easier to request exactly what you're searching for? The advantage is that instead of having to repeat your search request multiple times to receive a specific answer, you just have to type your search request as though you were having a conversation with the app. This way you can ask it to search something one time and get the answer you need.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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