Google announces its AI-powered Pixel 10 smartphone series

Google on Wednesday debuted its latest line of Pixel smartphones that prominently feature the Gemini assistant as artificial intelligence increasingly becomes the battleground where device companies compete.

The Alphabet company announced the Pixel 10 family of smartphones, saying the devices can use Google’s AI to do smart tasks, like quickly surfacing the address of an Airbnb when someone sends a text asking for it.

The Pixel 10 series includes several models and incorporates new AI and camera features. The baseline model, the Pixel 10, starts at $799 and is available in several colors. A more powerful Pixel 10 Pro starts at $999, and the Pixel 10 Pro XL with a larger screen and 256GB of base storage starts at $1,199. Google is also releasing an updated version of its folding phone, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, that starts at $1,799.

Google’s Pixel phone launch comes before Apple is expected to announce new iPhone models in September. While the Pixel typically has single-digit market share — far behind brands like Samsung, Motorola and Apple — the devices enable Google to release cutting-edge Android features without going through third-party hardware makers. The Pixel line of devices also allows Google to showcase how it believes its Android software compares with that of the iPhone.

The latest series of smartphones also have the potential to serve as a funnel for Google’s artificial intelligence services and subscriptions. Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis previously described a vision for a universal assistant that “can seamlessly operate over any domain, any modality or any device.” Hassabis told employees at an all-hands meeting last year that “the products themselves are going to evolve massively over the next year or two.”

Google’s Gemini models are considered by critics to be more advanced than the models underpinning Apple Intelligence, the iPhone’s built-in AI suite.

Earlier this year, Apple delayed a big update to Siri until 2026, creating an opening for Google to secure a lead among AI-eager customers with its well-respected Gemini assistant, which can already hold a natural conversation and manage calendars and other apps. A Google Pixel 10 ad released earlier this month poked fun at Apple’s Siri delays.

“If you buy a new phone because of a feature that’s coming soon, but it’s coming soon for a full year, you could change your definition of soon, or change your phone,” the Pixel ad said.

Among the Pixel 10′s key AI features is “Magic Cue,” which Google said is an AI product that “brings a new level of personalized intelligence and helpfulness.”

If calling an airline, Magic Cue surfaces flight details “as soon as you dial,” the company says, adding that it is meant to anticipate the users’ needs and suggest “relevant information and helpful actions based on the context on your phone.”