Google Pixel 9 AI features: What do we expect?

The first and obvious one is Gemini. Google transformed its Bard Large Language Model into Gemini a couple of months ago, and with this transition came another metamorphosis. Gemini now has three distinct tiers - Gemini Ultra, Gemini Pro, and Gemini Nano.

Google has already stated that it plans to bring the Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 lineup with a Feature Drop (Android 14 QPR3 in June), and we can expect the AI to make its way to the Pixel 9 as well.

Given the timeline, we might as well see some differentiation between the models; for example, the Google Pixel 9 could get Gemini Nano, while the Pixel 9 Pro could end up with Gemini Pro onboard.

Google Pixie AI Assistant

The next big AI thing that's expected on the new Pixels is a smart, AI-driven assistant called Pixie. This little fairy will make use of the Gemini AI LLM and be able to perform complex and multimodal tasks.

Pixie will also be able to work in conjunction with other Google services, such as Maps, Gmail, Calendar, etc. Ultimately, users will be able to use Pixie as a much more capable and personalized version of Google Assistant, or Assistant with Bard (with the latter one probably retiring soon).

Some of the things you would be able to do are, for example, take a picture and ask Pixie to guide you to the nearest store that sells the thing. The AI assistant will then use contextual AI image search to discern the object, browse the net to find stores around you that sell it, and launch Google Maps to guide you there.

There are other potential uses; you could make Pixie book a visit to the hairdresser for you, make the call, add it to your calendar, or set a reminder. Or ask it to transcribe a meeting, then summarize it and mail the summary to someone. All in all, Pixie should act more like a real-life human assistant, without throwing tantrums and asking for a pay raise, of course.

Circle, Scribble, or Highlight to Search

This AI-powered feature is already on the Pixel 8 series, and we expect it to be transferred to the Pixel 9 with some improvements. Currently, you can use Google Lens to search for an object in an image by highlighting it in various ways.

We could see an improvement here, mainly by making use of Pixie. Rather than manually circling or highlighting something you like, you could just ask Pixie, "What type of glasses is the woman in this picture wearing? Where can I get a pair?"

Smart Reply across the (G)board

Google already introduced the Smart Reply feature in Gboard, but on the Pixel 9, we could see it in other places as well. With the help of Pixie, you could just ask the assistant to politely refuse an invitation via email, message, or even a voice call.

Picture this. You receive a new email, and Pixie notifies you and then reads it out loud to you (when prompted). You then just say, "Pixie, politely refuse the dinner invitation by sending a text message to Mark."

There are countless applications of the Smart Reply feature that can be made much more intuitive and user friendly through Gemini and Pixie.

Camera AI features - Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Video Boost, Night Sight

Of course, Google Pixel phones are known for their camera AI magic. Even before AI was a thing, Pixel phones were able to do some impressive stuff with algorithms alone. Now, we have things like Magic Eraser, Photo Unblur, Night Sight, and many more AI tools to help you snap the perfect shot or video.

We expect these to make an appearance on the Pixel 9 with some improvements and the addition of new AI features such as AI HDR (a Gemini-driven version of Google's Ultra HDR feature) and a smarter AI Clean feature (the ability to remove stains and imperfections from a scanned document), working with regular photos and even videos.

These are all speculative at the moment, but given the power and capabilities of Gemini and other LLM systems, we believe they are plausible.