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Google puts Gemini AI at center of new Pixel 11 smartphones

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Google has unveiled its Pixel 11 smartphone lineup, making its Gemini artificial intelligence technology a centerpiece as competition with Apple’s iPhone increasingly shifts toward AI-powered features.

The new lineup includes the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Google is promoting the phones alongside Gemini Intelligence, a collection of AI features designed to understand what users are doing and perform tasks across multiple apps.

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Gemini Intelligence can draw information from messages, calendars, maps and other Google services and use it to suggest or take actions. Examples include checking a user’s availability, comparing travel options or beginning a restaurant reservation.

Google is also integrating more AI capabilities directly into the Android operating system rather than requiring users to open a separate chatbot. Other Pixel features include scam detection and enhanced voice transcription.

The launch comes as Apple prepares to introduce a rebuilt version of Siri using Google’s Gemini AI models. Despite that partnership, Google maintains that the Pixel and iPhone are developing distinct approaches to AI, with Gemini becoming increasingly integrated throughout Android.

Whether AI will persuade consumers to replace their existing phones remains uncertain. Counterpoint Research estimates artificial intelligence currently ranks only sixth or seventh among consumers’ reasons for upgrading smartphones, although its importance has risen as Gemini and Apple Intelligence have become more capable.

Google believes AI could eventually become the primary way people interact with phones, laptops and other devices, replacing some of the traditional process of navigating between individual apps.

The new phones arrive as another issue threatens to make smartphones more expensive. Google says shortages of RAM and flash memory are driving up costs throughout the consumer electronics industry.

The company expects those higher component costs to lead to additional price increases for its devices, although specific future increases were not detailed.

Source: CNBC

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