3 Google AI phone features I am most excited to try

Google is going big on AI integration with its new Pixel phones, smartwatch and earphones. The tech giant held a keynote speech showing off its latest devices and how they will make the most of its Gemini artificial intelligence. 

But with so much being shown off during the Made By Google keynote speech - not least the new folding Pixel handset - your head might still be spinning. Especially when it comes to the exciting ways that you may end up using AI on your next Pixel device. 

Having taken a look at all the major announcements from the livestream, I’ve pulled together a list of the AI features I’m most excited to try. Let me know if you agree or not. 

Make lists on Google Keep 

With the new Pixel 9 phones, you will be able to use the Gemini AI-assistant to easily make lists in Google Keep. Having hit my 30s last year (RIP to my youth), I have increasingly become a person who makes lists and needs reminders. 

If you don’t believe me, I have set up a daily reminder to water my plants. It doesn’t always work, but still its set up - so baby steps. 

And sitting down and writing out a list of my daily tasks on my phone keeps me from getting sidetracked - or worse, winging it, which ends in chaos and half-forgotten article drafts. But having to go through the process of picking up my phone, opening a note and then typing out the list can be cumbersome - so being able to just tell Gemini outloud my list and have the AI write it down for me could be a game-changer. 

Test how well custom weather reports turn out 

English weather huh. What a mixed bag it's been this summer, bouncing from grey skies and deluge of rain to scorching heat almost every other day (or so it feels). 

Meaning it can be an increasingly hard task to plan ahead, at least in terms of the weather. Do I need to take a coat just in case the heavens open, will it be chillier than expected in a few hours. 

Google promises that with AI, the new Pixel weather app “supplement traditional weather reporting so you get even more accurate forecasts, like when the rain is going to start and stop”. It also says that Gemini Nano will generate a “ custom weather report” so you don’t have to “scroll through a bunch of numbers to get a sense of the day’s weather”. 

Which all sounds like a proper life-saver (especially here in good old blighty). But until you try it out and see how it works in practice, it remains to be seen if it lives up to the hype  - that doesn’t stop it from being one of the features I can’t wait to try the most. 

See if Pixel’s AI photo tools can fix my ‘rusty’ skills

I am unfortunately rather bad at remembering to take pictures with my phone. This is not a case of ‘living in the moment’, because my screen time can be wretched enough it makes me feel like I need to go to confession. 

It is just, the urge to snap pictures never really crosses my mind - until after. But in 2024, I have been at least trying to get better at that, although my photography skills may charitably be referred to as “rusty”. 

So one of the most eye-catching AI features coming to Pixel phones are the photography tools. It includes the ability to add yourself to group photos, so when you are the one behind the lens you aren’t left out - and also the Magic Editor, which can ‘re-imagine’ your photo with generative AI

But perhaps more importantly for me, the Auto Frame feature which is “there to help you recompose your image and put a better focus on the subject” and sounds like a cheat code to take my skills from “rusty” to the lofty heights of “adequate”. 

Which of the new Google AI features are you most excited to try? Do any jump out in particular, let our tech writer know by emailing [email protected].