The AI competition among mobile phone manufacturers has officially begun.
In the early hours of August 14th Beijing time, Google (GOOGL.O) unveiled the Pixel 9 series smartphones integrated with Google's artificial intelligence technology.
Compared to previous years, this launch event was nearly two months ahead of schedule and strategically positioned before Apple's (AAPL.O) autumn product launch, signaling intense competition between Google and Apple.
Specifically, the new devices released by Google include the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL smartphones, the 9 Pro Fold foldable model, as well as the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2. AI is integrated throughout, with the latest series of smartphones featuring the Google Tensor G4 chip, incorporating functions such as Live Captions, Screen Search, and AI camera. Additionally, Google announced the integration of the Gemini AI assistant into the Android system.
&#34;We are rebuilding an AI-centric operating system and redefining the functions of smartphones,&#34; said Sameer Samat, President of the Android ecosystem.
Compared to industry competitors such as Apple and Huawei, Google, with its influence over the Android system, has a more profound impact. The integration of the Gemini AI assistant may mean that AI technology will rapidly spread to billions of Android devices. The era of AI smartphones is about to unfold.
However, according to industry analysts, the upgraded AI capabilities of the Android system will not be available in China in the short term. For the domestic market, the arrival of Gemini could provide insights for empowering large-scale models of domestic smartphones in terms of underlying architecture and privacy security.
What's new with Google's AI smartphones?
Looking at the AI smartphones currently available on the market, functions or tools related to AI are mainly concentrated in three areas: voice, image, and AI assistants, and Google is no exception.
For example, the Pixel series introduced the first image generator, Pixel Studio, which combines the device-side diffusion model running on Tensor G4 with the cloud-based Imagen 3 model to quickly generate Live Captions. The exclusive Pixel Screenshots app can also save, organize, and retrieve important information from screenshots.
The AI camera is a major selling point of the Pixel 9 series, with Google claiming it to be the &#34;world's first AI-driven camera.&#34; For instance, Google mentioned several real-world applications: the &#34;Add me&#34; feature can insert the photographer into a group photo; the panorama mode can support the phone camera in low-light conditions to capture &#34;higher-quality low-light panoramas than any other smartphone&#34;; it also includes functions such as automatic composition and editing.
Regarding the AI assistant, the Gemini Live service allows users to have audio conversations with chatbots. It offers 10 voice options for conversation selection and has currently opened an English version. According to Google, in the coming weeks, it will expand to the iOS operating system and more languages
From the current AI tools launched by Google, it is almost the same as the image creation (Image Playground), photo and video search, and upgraded Siri functions covered by Apple Intelligence.
However, the operation of large models on mobile phones is often limited by storage, computing power, etc., so AI phones on the market often deploy through cloud or edge-cloud collaboration. But the trade-off is slower response speed and issues related to data privacy.
To ensure a smooth AI-driven experience on devices, Google has upgraded the memory of the entire Pixel 9 series, with Pixel 9 having 12GB of memory, and Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL having 16GB of memory.
In comparison, the base version of Apple's iPhone 15 (non-Pro version) and iPhone 15 Plus have 6GB of RAM, while only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are equipped with 8GB of RAM. This is one of the reasons why only the latter two models in the iPhone 15 series can support Apple Intelligence, while the first two cannot. According to tech journalist Mark Gurman, the iPhone 16 series will be equipped with 8GB of RAM across the board.
Similar to Apple, Google also emphasizes the protection of personal information and privacy. However, Google specifically points out that whether users are processing data in the cloud or on the device, this data will be located in Google's secure end-to-end architecture.
&#34;Only Gemini can complete all these tasks through a secure, all-in-one approach without handing over information to third-party AI providers that you may not understand or trust,&#34; Google emphasized.
This statement also seems to be a veiled criticism of Apple's collaboration with OpenAI.
In June of this year, Apple introduced its own AI capability, Apple Intelligence, at WWDC2024, mentioning the concept of on-device large model computing and personal cloud. However, Apple has partnered with OpenAI and integrated ChatGPT access into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, while Apple's Siri voice assistant can also connect to ChatGPT. This move was publicly questioned and criticized by Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the time: &#34;Apple claims to protect privacy while handing your data over to a third-party AI company, which is not protecting privacy at all.&#34;
&#34;The Gemini model also follows the edge-cloud integration model. Its greatest advantage is that Gemini can perform complex personal queries in Google's secure cloud without transmitting information to third-party cloud services outside its own ecosystem, fully protecting user privacy and data security,&#34; said Chen Jun, Vice President and Chief Analyst of Sigmaintell, in an analysis to Time Weekly reporters
Gemini integrates into Android, what impact will it have domestically?
At this press conference, Google also announced that the Gemini AI assistant will be integrated into the Android system, which means that Android devices will have brand new AI functions with Gemini's assistance. Currently, Gemini supports 45 languages, covering over 200 countries and regions, and can run on hundreds of phone models, such as Samsung, Motorola, and other brands.
According to a research report from West Securities, Google + Android has achieved a closed-loop of end-side AI for mobile devices, OS, applications, large models, and cloud computing. The Android system covers a wide range of devices, has a rich ecosystem, and a large user base. Google has taken the lead in opening up real-time voice interaction functions, which is expected to reshape various applications and even potentially reshape operating systems, sparking an interaction revolution. The catalysis of end-side AI is ongoing, and the era of end-side AI is about to fully arrive.
In the mobile phone industry, the Android operating system dominates. Market research firm Counterpoint data shows that in Q1 2024, the global mobile phone system market share is divided among Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS, with market shares of 77%, 19%, and 4% respectively, almost dominating the global mobile phone market share.
In Chen Jun's view, the integration of the Gemini AI assistant into Android will further promote global demand for phone upgrades (especially for mid-to-high-end models), while providing a vision for the AI ecosystem. Long-term convergence towards &#34;AI digital personality empowerment&#34; will further enhance cross-category demand for phone upgrades.
However, in the Chinese market, the upgraded AI-capable Android system may not meet users in the short term.
Senior industry and economic analyst, founder of Ding Technology, Ding Shaojiang, told Time Weekly reporters that Gemini has not yet launched a Chinese version, and the entry of AI large models and their applications into the domestic market usually requires an approval process, making it difficult to appear in the domestic market in the short term.
&#34;From a global perspective, Chinese manufacturers can cooperate with Google to access the new version of the Android system to enhance competitiveness,&#34; Ding Shaojiang said.
There are reports that Google is cooperating with Chinese phone brands such as Xiaomi and Oppo. Earlier, Lei Jun stated that the upcoming flagship model of Xiaomi in the international market will cooperate with Google, fully utilizing Google's Gemini model and Google Cloud.
On August 9th this year, Liu Zuohu, Chief Product Officer of OPPO, announced on social media that OPPO phones will access Google's AI large model Gemini. Liu Zuohu said, &#34;We have closely cooperated with Google and achieved incredible AI results. The OPPO international models will access Google Gemini, while the domestic models will use OPPO's self-developed AI large model.&#34;
On the other hand, many domestic phone manufacturers are currently developing their own operating systems to better support AI operations. Under the wave of AI phones, it is a new OS revolution.
Domestic manufacturers such as Huawei, Vivo, OPPO, Xiaomi, and Honor are all focusing on developing their own operating systems. As Zhao Ming, CEO of Honor, once said, &#34;The operating system deserves to be redone with AI.&#34;
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Zhang Xiaorong, the director of the Deep Technology Research Institute, believes that the reshaping of operating systems by AI smartphones mainly lies in providing more intelligent interaction methods, personalized services, and automated functions. With the development of AI technology, operating systems may become more intelligent, better able to understand user needs and habits. Domestic manufacturers such as Huawei, vivo, etc., are developing their own operating systems in order to remain competitive in the AI era.
AI has become a common direction for domestic and foreign mobile phone manufacturers to bet on in the future. Apple is expected to hold its autumn new product launch event in September this year. According to Bloomberg, the &#34;Apple Intelligence&#34; AI features may be introduced in the official version of iOS and iPadOS 18.1 in October. Products such as the Huawei Mate 70 series are also expected to be released in the second half of the year, with market rumors suggesting a significant enhancement of AI features. By then, the landscape of the mobile phone industry may undergo another significant change.
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Google released the Pixel 9 series smartphones on August 14th, integrating Google's artificial intelligence technology and making an early appearance two months before Apple's fall conference. The new devices include Pixel 9, 9 Pro, etc., equipped with the Tensor G4 chip to enhance AI capabilities. Google announced that the Gemini AI assistant will be integrated into the Android system, indicating that AI technology will be widely used in Android devices. Although the upgraded Android system will not be available in the Chinese market in the short term, the launch of Gemini provides insights for the models and privacy security of domestic smartphones

- Google (GOOGL.O) unveiled the Pixel 9 series integrating Google AI technology, launching the event nearly two months earlier than usual and strategically before Apple's (AAPL.O) fall product launch. The new devices include smartphones like Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, the foldable 9 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Buds Pro 2, all powered by the Google Tensor G4 chip with AI features like Live Captions, screenshot search, and AI camera.
- The integration of Gemini AI assistant into Android by Google hints at widespread AI adoption across Android devices, potentially impacting billions of users. While Google emphasizes privacy and data security, the move signifies a competitive edge over rivals like Apple and Huawei in the AI-driven smartphone market.
- The AI advancements in Google's Pixel 9 series, including features like Pixel Studio for image generation, AI-driven camera capabilities, and Gemini Live for audio conversations, showcase a trend towards AI-centric smartphones. The industry shift towards AI-driven OS enhancements and privacy-focused AI models sets the stage for a transformative era in mobile technology.

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