As far back as 2023, Google was reportedly working on an AI assistant for Pixel phones called “Pixie.” Many people expected to see that assistant debut with the Pixel 9, but we haven’t really heard anything about that project since.
Until now.
Pixel Sense on Pixel 10
According to a report from Android Authority, Google is dropping a new context-aware assistant with the Pixel 10 — Pixel Sense.
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Android Authority says Pixel Sense will use information on your phone to provide a much more personal assistant experience. It will be able to pull information from a number of other apps, including Calendar, Chrome, Contacts, Docs, Files, Gmail, Keep Notes, Maps, Messages, Phone, Photos, Recorder, Screenshots, Wallet, YouTube Music, and YouTube.
The AI-powered assistant will run fully on-device, meaning you’ll be able to use it offline and “not even Google can see” your data. It will be able to process media files, including text and images, and process screenshots (sounds like Pixel Screenshots). Pixel Sense will provide personal predictive suggestions, like suggesting places and names you use often, adapt to your interests, and learn how you use your phone to complete tasks faster.
What makes Pixel Sense different?
At first, this sounds an awful lot like what Google seemingly wanted to do with Gemini (and what Google Now was supposed to do years ago). Google replaced Assistant with Gemini last fall, but now it seems it’s already looking to replace it — or at least some combination of Assistant, Gemini, and now Pixel Sense.
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I’ve been a Google Pixel devotee since the beginning, and I can’t see myself switching up at this point, so I’m especially intrigued with what Google is doing here.
Everything running on-device is definitely interesting, and a big plus if you’re concerned about privacy and security. It’s something no other AI assistant is doing, and Google will stand out if they’re able to pull it off.
The ability to work seamlessly across different apps is also a potentially huge addition. Most Google apps have Gemini integration, but Gemini can’t pull information from one app to another yet. The ability to carry out complex, multimodal tasks — say, “Give me directions to where I can buy those green shoes I took a screenshot of” — is also a big plus, and something that will push Pixel Sense past other assistants.
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I feel like if Google can finally settle on an assistant, Pixel Sense has the opportunity to be a big selling point for Pixel phones (that is, if Google doesn’t do what it did with Gemini and make it available to other phones).