I’ve been a happy iPhone owner since 3GS far back in 2009, and yes, I’ve been upgrading since then. Not even in those 16 years I am really tempted to switch to Android or a pixel phone. But watching the Google Pixel 10 launch this week was the first time in a while that at least I have begun to entertain a future that is not apple.
Google’s new pixels are far from perfect and I am still far from changing. But it was the overall tone of the event (from a technical perspective rather than the celebrity cringe party) that left me feeling a momentum shift in smartphones. Pixels will continue to be niche compared to iPhones, but Google knows that AI is its era and pixel 10 launch showed its bullishness is well-founded.
Pixels are the most iPhone-like phones on Android snarers than flashy specifications and benchmark matches, they are about features. And these are these features, plus Google’s surprise pushes into repair ability and fun accessories that caught my eye like a long time Apple fan.
Here are the five things that I think Apple needs to respond to its iPhone 17 launch in September.
1. Really useful AI features
The big star here is that we do not know exactly how well Google’s new AI features that Magic Cue will work in practice. And I have also lost the number of times Google has promised us trouble -free AI guide, only for it to fall apart by contact with the real world.
But my impression from the Pixel 10 launch is that Google has some good ideas and most importantly is in the best position to pull them off. Take, for example, Magic Cue -It is invoiced as AI -smartphone assistant we have all wanted in the last few years, appears with relevant files or calendar posts when we messages or call friends.
Even as an iPhone user, I’m still very much in Google’s world as a user of calendar, maps and gmail. I even use the Gmail app instead of Apple Mail on my iPhone. So the idea of an AI assistant that can make connections between all these services is an appealing one – and I don’t really see Apple Intelligence doing better than Gemini anytime soon.
Obviously, there are concerns about privacy and it is likely to be a slow-burning feature, but a lot of Google’s AI features, such as voice translation, work well on the definition. It has long felt like Apple player collection in the AI room, which appeals most to me, which is not gene and photo playground. And the Pixel 10 launch really hit it home.
2. Foldable first step
Google knows it’s not a leader in folding, but I like the fact that it’s willing to at least throw his hat into the ring and iterers. As our hands-on Google Pixel 10 Fold review ends, it’s not a reinvention and remains a few steps behind the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 due to its subordinate weight, thickness and cameras.
But the foldable existence makes the Pixel 10 setup feel more exciting. If I was on Team Pixel rather than Apple, I would be comforted to know that even though Google is not a foldable champion, it is at least refining his craft and getting the real world feedback it needs to get a big pixel fold one day. Perhaps.
After so many years of Apple, I know that is not how it rolls with new technology. It waits for others to publicly iron the kinks before they blow everyone with the polished version they have stumbled. At least in theory.
Am I convinced that it will do this with foldable? Not particularly if Apple Vision Pro and Apple Intelligence is something to go by. It is jerked that the iPhone fold solves a lot of collapsible problems (screen folds, weak hinges and more), but when it is launched, I may be more excited about screen-free AI gadgets that make folding look like a psion organizer.
3. Ai Health Coach
Health and fitness is the area where I am most excited about AI’s personal potential. While I have long been a fan of open water swimming and triathlons, I have never been a real data DR with BPM and VO2 MAX-so is why Google’s new AI Health Coach really appeals.
Unfortunately, we didn’t hear much in the way of details, but the concept is exciting – a personal AI health coach trained on your exercise, sleep and nutrition data that can make small adjustments to your plans based on your measurements and how you feel.
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I have always struggled with the tension between training plans and real life, with injuries, poor sleep and other events that often clothing lining my good intentions and leading to long -lasting breaks. In theory, the new AI health coach for the redesigned Fitbit app could solve this-for example to let me talk to chat with the assistant about exercises for my stiff back or the best alternative workout to my sleep deficiency body.
Does Apple make something similar? Almost certainly, with rumors of Project Mulberry, who recently suggested that an AI health coach will be part of a renewed Apple Health app. But I am again not convinced that Apple is best placed to win here-Google’s AI coach is driven by Gemini, and so far Apple Intelligence features have been underway.
4. The consistency of the camera
I have long been a buyer of Pro model iPhones because cameras are important to me -but I don’t see why Tele cameras should be reserved for more expensive models anymore. The Pixel 10 series has removed this difference, where even the base model now comes with a 5x tele camera.
This reflects well on the Pixel series as a whole. They are much friendlier for the average photographer than iPhones, which in turn are joined to keep their tele cameras limited to Pro models on the iPhone 17 series. Even as a pro -owner, it feels a little remedy.
This feeling of making photography available to everyone is also behind cameraCoach, a new AI feature that tells you how to best compose and shoot photos. It’s not a feature I use, but I like the concept and I’m glad it exists.
That said, I’m not a fan of all Google’s AI camera features. Its new 100x Pro Res Zoom feature (not to be confused with Super Res Zoom) sounds like it exceeds the brand when it comes to how much AI-created detail is on our photos. It doesn’t yet work on humans, and Pro Res Zoom photos are labeled as ‘edited with AI tools’, but it still feels like a smooth slope for a standard camera app for me.
5. Pixel Watch 4’s repair ability
I’m a long -lasting Apple Watch owner, but the new Pixel Watch 4 has turned it into a very cool feature. As long as you have a Torx screwdriver, you can replace its battery or viewing at home.
Impressively, this much needed feature does not affect Smartwatch’s waterproofing. The only downside is that Google has had to move the charging pins to the side of the device, which means another new charging dock. Still, this dock also looks pretty cool, and the repair ability is generally a big net benefit.
While I expect Apple Watch to match Pixel Watch 4’s second major upgrade telephone-free satellite connection to emergencies-I am less convinced that we will see any major design changes for this year’s Apple Watch 11.
The rumors point to a larger redesign for Apple Watch 12, but there is still nothing in the speculation of repair ability. It is another area where it again feels like Apple is hanging behind and is happy to rest on its ‘carbon neutral’ laurels, but I hope I am pleasantly surprised, coming September.
