Google's Pixel phones have earned a well-deserved reputation for combining AI-specific hardware and exclusive features which often arrive much later—if at all—to other Android manufacturers. With the arrival of the Tensor G5 chip and the deep integration of Gemini, this commitment has skyrocketed, but controversial decisions have also emerged that affect recent models like the Pixel 8 Pro, especially in basic functions such as battery health.
Even so, the Pixel ecosystem still has very particular software tricks that go far beyond the standard Gemini: from conversational automatic photo editing to real-time translation in calls, smart spam filters, and everyday features like Now Playing. If you're coming from another Android device or wondering what a Pixel 9 Pro or a future Pixel 10 offers compared to a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, you'll find all those features explained in detail here.
Tensor G5 and Gemini: the tandem that changes everything in the Pixel
The generation Pixel 10 arrives with him Tensor G5 chip as the heart of all artificial intelligence of the device. It's not a generic processor: it's designed from the ground up to accelerate generative AI models and machine learning tasks directly on the mobile device, without relying so heavily on the cloud.
This chip relies on a dedicated AI processing core (NPU) optimized for tasks such as speech recognition, real-time image analysis, translation, and content generation. Thanks to this, functions that previously felt slow or required a constant connection now run more smoothly and with less battery consumption.
This hardware powers Gemini, Google's multimodal AI model. In the Pixel 10, Gemini is not just another appbut a cross-layer that integrates into the phone: it assists with calls, sneaks into the camera, appears in Photos, and acts as a contextual assistant while you use other apps. You can learn to Use Gemini in Messages to see how it integrates into everyday communication.
In addition, the Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL models include extra advantages such as one year of access to Google AI Pro, which unlocks priority access to advanced models (Gemini Pro), productivity tools, and AI-powered creative video features that go beyond what comes standard.
Unlike other Android systems where Gemini is limited to being a general-purpose assistant, on the Pixel 10 the system is designed to Take advantage of the potential of the Tensor G5 in the backgroundcoordinating different functions without the user having to jump from app to app.
Exclusive AI features on the Pixel 10
The Pixel 10 family (Pixel 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL and 10 Pro Fold) is presented as Google's great demonstration of the power of AI in mobile devicesBeyond the typical night modes or portrait blur, there is a set of very specific utilities that make a difference in daily use.
Instant translation on calls
One of the most striking functions is the Instant translation in voice callsImagine you call a restaurant in another country or take a work call in another language: the Pixel 10 can translate in real time what the other person says and what you reply.
The system uses AI models to transcribe, translate and synthesize voice On the fly, taking advantage of the Tensor G5 to minimize delays. This makes it possible to have a relatively smooth conversation without sharing a language, without having to resort to external apps or handing the phone to the speakerphone for a translator to listen.
Gemini Live: a more natural real-time assistant
Gemini Live takes the voice assistant to a more conversational level. It's not just about saying "OK Google" and issuing commands: the idea is that you can talking on the mobile phone almost naturally, with interruptions, nuances, and shared context.
In addition, this feature can utilize both the camera and screen sharing to add visual context to the conversationFor example, you can point the camera at a sign in another language and continue chatting with Gemini about what it says, or show him a web page and ask him to summarize the content or point out the most important information.
AI Camera Assistant with Scene Analysis
Another key element of the Pixel 10 experience is the AI-powered Camera AssistantBeyond the typical suggestion of "activate night mode", this assistant analyzes the scene in real time and recommends specific settings.
For example, it might suggest vary the angle, change the lens, adjust the lighting or switch to a specific shooting mode (such as portrait, action, or macro) depending on what it detects. This way, the user receives unobtrusive guidance that helps them take better photos without needing any photography knowledge.
AI doesn't just look at brightness; it also recognizes elements like people, pets, cityscapes, or scenes with a lot of movement, adapting its advice to improve sharpness, composition, and stability of the shot. Some analyses even detail sensors like the Isocell GN1 that influence photographic performance.
Improved Automatic Version
Google had already launched the feature of select the best faces in group photos in previous generations, but in the Pixel 10 the tool takes another leap.
The advanced version of Best Auto Version can not only choose which face looks best in a burst, but intelligently combine elements from multiple shots to generate a final photograph in which everyone looks good.
The system understands what a grimace, a closed eye, or a distracted person looking elsewhere is, and recomposes the image to make it seem as if the whole group posed perfectly at the same time, without the user having to go photo by photo manually choosing.
Include me: the photographer is also in the photo
Another interesting feature designed for group photos is include mewhich solves the classic situation of "there's always someone missing to take the photo".
The phone uses multiple frames captured in burst mode and reconstructs an image in which the photographer also appearsEven when there are many people in the scene, the mobile phone is able to insert the user in a coherent position, taking care of the lighting and framing so that the result does not look like a sloppy montage.
This feature greatly benefits from the advanced processing of the Tensor G5 and the learning that Google has accumulated in face detection, lighting matching, and generating consistent visual content.
“Help me edit” and conversational editing in Google Photos
One of Google's most interesting moves in recent years has been take advanced photo editing to an almost magical level Thanks to generative AI. On the Pixel 10, that feature is called “Help me edit” within Google Photos.
This tool is based on a simple idea: instead of the user manually searching for each editing tool, the mobile device allows Describe in ordinary words what you want to achieveFrom there, the system relies on Gemini and other internal functions to transform the image.
“Help me edit” is located within Google Photos, in the Editing section, under Tools. Once you access it, you can type or dictate requests like this: “Remove the cars from the background”, “Make the sky more spectacular with clouds” or “improve this old photo that looks dull.”
Internally, the function acts as a “conductor of an orchestra”: It doesn't do everything on its own.but it also coordinates other technologies such as Reimagine and tools for erasing, restoring or intelligent filling, depending on what you have requested.
The results seen in internal and external tests are quite convincing: Add accessories like hats or glasses It usually produces believable images, and restoring old photos manages to rescue details, improve sharpness and correct superficial damage without requiring you to be an expert in editing.
The interesting thing is that Google has already started to Bring “Help me edit” to other Android phonesRepeating the usual strategy: first as an exclusive for the most recent Pixel phones and, after a while, expanding the feature to older devices and other brands that meet the technical requirements (Android 12 or higher, among others).
Even so, availability is not uniform on older models. There are cases like the Pixel 6 Pro with Android 16 QPR2 Beta where The function is not yet activatedThis reflects that Google continues to control the rollout gradually and with considerable nuance depending on the chip, memory, and region.
Other distinctive features of the Pixel beyond Gemini
For many users who have been using Pixel for several generations, what's truly addictive isn't just the big marketing innovations, but the small details of everyday life that they end up missing when they try another mobile phone.
Call filtering and spam protection
Pixel call filtering has become one of those features that You don't remember until you're missing itThe mobile phone can answer suspicious calls for you, ask who is calling, and show you a transcript of the response on the screen.
Thanks to the use of AI for speech recognition and spam pattern classification, the system Detects marketing campaigns and scams with considerable accuracy. This allows you to decide whether to answer or not without interrupting what you're doing, which is especially useful if you receive many calls from unknown numbers.
Now Playing on the lock screen
Another classic hallmark is Now Playing, the feature that It automatically recognizes the music playing around you. and it shows up on the lock screen.
You don't need to do anything: the Pixel listens passively (respecting certain privacy settings) and shows you the song title and artist in real time. This recognition is largely done by... locally on the device, taking advantage of lightweight models trained with the music catalog that Google has been incorporating.
It's one of those features that seems like a minor detail until you change your phone and discover that you have to pull out Shazam or similar apps every time you want to identify a song in a bar or on the street.
Pixel's own apps and services
In their day-to-day experiences, users mention other small things that give personality to the Pixel experience, such as the weather app itself Google's unique design or the cleaner integration of the Assistant into system functions.
Also noteworthy are features such as enhanced screenshots and Pixel Studio, a tool that allows retouch and play with images and backgrounds with the help of AI. Although some users admit that they hardly use them, they are part of the set of additions that make the system feel cohesive and with a certain "Google soul".
The controversy surrounding battery health in Android 16 and the Pixel
Not everything in the Pixel ecosystem is good news. One of the recent controversies involves... The new battery health feature in Android 16 and Google's decision to limit it to certain models.
Until now, Android didn't directly offer clear battery health information, unlike Apple, which has provided maximum capacity percentages for years. With Android 16, this changes: the "Battery Health" feature allows easily check the level of degradation of the component, something extremely useful to know when it is advisable to change the battery or to detect if the mobile phone has deteriorated faster than expected.
The problem arises when Google confirms that this feature will only be available in Pixel phones released from the Pixel 8a onwardsThat is, it is included in models such as Pixel 8a, Pixel 9a, Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL, but leaves out recent and powerful devices such as the Pixel 8 Pro or the standard Pixel 8 itself.
The decision has generated considerable unease because, unlike more demanding AI functions, Checking the battery status does not require any particularly advanced hardware.Furthermore, it's shocking that models with the same chip—for example, the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel 8a—receive different treatment in this regard. In fact, there are already reports about how Pixel 4a users They have expressed similar concerns about degradation, which fuels the demand for transparency.
Google has vaguely mentioned certain "limitations" as a reason for not enabling Battery Health on some Pixel phones, but if you check the technical specifications, There is no clear and compelling reason. that justifies it. The fact that the Pixel 8a is, in theory, a cut-down version of the Pixel 8 Pro makes the difference even harder to understand.
Comparison with Apple and other brands in battery health
When Apple introduced the section of Battery health on your iPhone in 2018It wasn't limited to the newest models at the time. The feature came to all iPhones starting with the iPhone 6, a 2014 phone with very modest specifications compared to today's smartphones.
That move made it clear that showing battery degradation is a software option and transparency with the userThis is more than just a feature reserved for the latest high-end models. That's why many Pixel users now find it inconsistent that, with Android 16, Google has decided to restrict this information to only a few recent models.
Furthermore, it is striking that those who would benefit most from knowing the battery status are mobile phone owners with the longest usage timeThese are precisely the devices that have been excluded from this first wave of compatibility. An owner of a Pixel 8 Pro from just over a year ago is probably more interested in seeing their battery degradation than someone with a brand-new Pixel 9a.
So far, other Android manufacturers haven't commented in such detail on this. How will they implement the battery health feature in Android 16? Nor which specific models will have access. We'll have to see if they maintain a more open policy or if they follow Google's lead with restrictions based on model range and year.
Exclusive AI, scaled-back AI, and the real limitations of hardware
In the field of artificial intelligence, it is more understandable that Google draws boundaries between models. Some functions, especially those that depend on heavy generative models and local processingThey require a significant amount of RAM and a powerful NPU to run smoothly.
A clear example is in the "lite" version of Gemini NanoDesigned for phones with more modest specifications. In these cases, Google reduces capabilities or omits certain advanced AI features to prevent the system from lagging or excessively draining the battery.
Many users readily accept that some spectacular AI features will be missing from older phones or those with limited hardware. This is where both [the following factors come into play] technical reasons such as marketing strategiesBut the limitation usually has a certain logic.
What's jarring is that, at the same time as the absence of "Battery Health" is justified with supposed limitations, Other additions in Android 16 do reach those same Pixel phones.This inconsistency fuels the perception that the decision is more political than technical.
In short, while cutting back on some advanced AI features in older models makes sense for performance, disable basic tools that barely consume resources It makes the narrative that everything depends on the hardware's capabilities difficult to grasp.
The paradox of lengthy updates and features that never arrive
Google boasts—rightly so—of having one of the best Android market update policiesRecent Pixel phones enjoy up to seven years of system and security updates, a figure that rivals Apple and surpasses most Android brands.
However, this strategy clashes head-on when, when push comes to shove, Some key features are reserved for only a few modelsHaving many years of updates is of little use if some of the most interesting new software features don't reach your mobile phone despite it being relatively recent.
The case of battery health is especially ironic: we're talking about a a function that becomes more interesting over timeThis is precisely when a phone accumulates charging cycles and degradation becomes noticeable. Excluding models that are one or two years old gives the impression of accelerated "functional obsolescence".
On the other hand, Google continues to refine and expand AI in other areas. The Google Photos editor, for example, has received a thorough overhaul with a more accessible interface and new AI-powered selective editing tools, making it easier for the average user to get more out of their images without any hassle.
Thus, two realities coexist: on the one hand, a very strong commitment to system updates; on the other, debatable decisions about which functions are activated or not in each generationwhich may make some users wonder if it makes sense to change Pixel every time a new one comes out or to stick with the one they already have.
Nevertheless, the Pixel family continues to stand out for integrating AI features that truly transform the everyday user experience, from how you take and edit photos to how you manage calls or communicate in other languages. Despite the controversies and the fact that some features eventually make their way to other Android devices, the Pixel maintains a distinct advantage: They are the showcase where Google premieres its best ideas first.And that makes them a particularly attractive option for anyone who wants to always be one step ahead in mobile artificial intelligence.
