Google enhances new Pixel Phones with advanced AI

On Wednesday, Google introduced its latest Pixel smartphones, enriched with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) features. These features include the ability to automatically caption photos, with users having the flexibility to modify them.

This AI enhancement in Google's devices underscores the company's strategy to integrate AI more deeply into daily tech use, as highlighted in their developer's conference five months prior. At the New York event, Rick Osterloh, Google's SVP of devices and services, emphasized that the new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are designed to be an embodiment of "AI in your hand."

Soon, Google Assistant, seven years into its development, will collaborate with Google's new AI chatbot, Bard. This comes after Bard was integrated with other Google services like Gmail, Maps, and YouTube. Google is allowing users to let Bard interface with its various services, ensuring user concerns about AI accessing sensitive data are addressed.

One notable feature is the Bard-integrated Assistant's ability to caption photos clicked on Google's Android software, optimizing them for social media sharing. Initially, this feature will be available to a select group before being rolled out to more Pixel users.

Technologically, the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro mirror last year's models. However, the enhanced camera stands out, especially on the Pixel 8 Pro. With AI assistance, the camera can refine photos, zoom into details, swap faces in group photos, and remove unwanted objects or individuals.

The added AI capabilities are part of Google's justification for raising the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro's prices by $100 from last year, pricing them at $700 and $1,000, respectively. This move mirrors Apple's recent $100 price hike for its latest iPhone, hinting at a broader trend of rising device costs in the tech industry.

Additionally, the Pixel 8 Pro boasts a temperature-checking feature relevant in the current health-conscious times, although this requires regulatory approval in the US. While not the first phone with this feature, it's a significant addition to Google's offering.

Though Pixels have received positive critiques, their market share remains modest compared to giants like Samsung and Apple. Nevertheless, there's been growth, with Pixel's market share rising to 4% from under 1% in three years, as per International Data Corp.

Financially, Google is independent of massive phone sales, given its substantial revenue from its digital ad network, primarily driven by its leading search engine. These search engine placements, especially on devices like iPhones and Samsung's Galaxy range, are under scrutiny in an antitrust trial in Washington, where the US Justice Department alleges that Google's monopolistic tendencies are curbing competition and innovation.