Four new tools coming to the latest Google’s smartphones

Summaries of phone calls and on-device image generation will soon be available on Pixel smartphones.

On Tuesday, along with Pixel 9 smartphones, Pixel Watch 3, and Pixel Buds Pro 2, Google unveiled a host of new tools that will power the next generation of its Android smartphones.

Let’s take a look at some of the best features coming to Pixel smartphones.

Screenshots

The Screenshots app will allow Pixel users to go through all the screenshots taken and find relevant information with a voice query across time. This may be handy in situations when one needs to find the password of a WiFi router or a phone number.

At first glance, screenshots look like a much more privacy-friendly version of Microsoft’s Recall. This feature initially aimed to record every user action but was postponed after cybersecurity experts started sounding alarms over potential privacy issues.

According to Google, the Screenshots app will be enabled with users’ permission, while all the processing will be handled on the device.

Call notes

Some Android users already have the ability to transcribe their meetings. Apple, with its iOS 16 update, is also bringing transcription and summarizing to iPhones.

Now, Google is taking this one step further and expanding summaries to calls. The latest Pixel devices will record calls, transcribe them, and provide a summary of the conversation. This will enable users to get details such as phone numbers or addresses without calling back the other person.

When call recording is turned on, the other party will be informed.

“After notifying the other party, call notes will run fully on-device, bringing all the important price quotes and parts to your attention and creating a transcript of your call that you can refer back to,” explained a Google representative in a media briefing.

Image generator

If you want to generate an image with your smartphone, you typically need a third-party image generator.

Thanks to Google's diffusion and cloud models, the latest Pixel devices will be able to use a first-of-its-kind image generator, called Pixel studio, right on their smartphones.

With Pixel 9 smartphones, images can be generated based on their text prompt in real time. After generating a picture, there will be automatic suggestions on how to edit a visual such as making it more cinematic or cartoon-like in Pixel Studio.

These image generation models can also be used when editing pictures, such as changing the background with a prompt.

Satellite SOS

Later this year, Pixel 9 series smartphones will become the first Android devices to feature SOS messaging, which allows users to send emergency messages when no cellular service is available. For iOS users, this was introduced with the iPhone 14.

Satellite SOS will ask a few questions to share with first responders and send them messages.

According to Google, the new tool will be available for free for two years for the latest Pixel phones. It will first roll out in the US and later reach other regions.