Google puts Gemini at the center of Pixel 11 in AI smartphone fight with Apple
Alphabet unveiled its new Pixel 11 smartphone lineup on Wednesday, putting what it described as its most autonomous version of Gemini to date at the center of the devices. The launch is presented alongside a reference to Apple’s AI models and a redesigned Siri arriving just weeks later, although the supplied source sentence is truncated. The lineup includes the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. But Google’s hardware messaging also focused on Gemini Intelligence, a suite of AI features that can understand what users are doing on their phones and carry out tasks across different apps. For example, Gemini Intelligence can combine information from text messages, calendars, maps and other Google services to recommend or directly perform follow-up actions, such as checking availability, comparing travel options or making a restaurant reservation. Google is also expanding AI functions that run directly within the phone’s operating system, without requiring users to open a chatbot separately. Rick Osterloh, Google’s head of devices and services, said in an interview that the company believes AI could fundamentally change how people use smartphones. “Over the last 10 to 15 years, the way people use laptops and phones hasn’t changed that much,” Osterloh said. “But we think that’s about to undergo a huge transformation.” He described Gemini Intelligence as “a whole new model of human-computer interaction” that uses agent capabilities so users can “not just get information, but actually get things done.” The launch also puts Google in a particularly unusual position: competing directly with one of its most important AI customers. Apple is rebuilding Siri around Google’s Gemini models, with goals broadly similar to what Google is demonstrating on the Pixel: understanding personal information, recognizing what is on the screen and performing tasks across apps. Asked whether the Pixel could demonstrate the model’s capabilities before Gemini reaches the iPhone, Osterloh rejected the idea that the two experiences would converge. “Clearly, Pixel and iPhone are heading in very different directions,” Osterloh said. “Leading with new technology has always been central to the Pixel product strategy, especially Gemini and AI-related features.” He cited scam detection, Rambler voice transcription technology and Gemini’s deep integration into Android as examples of Google’s differentiated experience. “All of those are capabilities that are unique to Android and Gemini Intelligence,” he said. “To experience these features, users need to buy a Pixel or another Android phone.” Both companies face the same fundamental question: whether increasingly capable AI will be enough to persuade consumers to replace their phones. Osterloh acknowledged that AI is not yet the top reason consumers upgrade, but said its priority in purchase decisions has risen significantly in recent years. Data from market research firm Counterpoint shows that AI currently ranks roughly sixth or seventh among consumers’ reasons for replacing a phone. In the latest survey, that ranking had risen by one to two places as Gemini and Apple Intelligence improved. Taran Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint, said the key to turning potential interest into actual phone replacements is building compelling use cases and raising public awareness. He expects Apple Intelligence to catalyze an iPhone upgrade cycle and noted that Apple has more generative-AI-capable smartphones already in consumers’ hands than any other brand. Google’s long-term vision is for Gemini to occupy a more central role in how people use their devices. “We believe its importance will continue to grow, and in the future it could even become the primary way people interact with phones, laptops and other devices,” Osterloh said. At the same time, Google must contend with an industrywide challenge: shortages of memory chips are driving up hardware costs. “The memory shortage is very apparent. Both RAM and flash memory are in tight supply,” Osterloh said. He said constrained supply was forcing consumer-electronics companies to raise prices and that Google’s own devices would face additional cost pressure. “In the short term, almost every manufacturer will have to raise product prices,” Osterloh said. “We’ve also made clear that, like other companies in the industry, our product prices will go up.” The new Pixel generation gives Google its first opportunity to test whether a highly autonomous AI assistant can truly change smartphone-use habits. Apple will soon place a bet on the same arena, with a much larger installed base. Counterpoint data shows that Apple has the world’s largest installed base of generative-AI-compatible smartphones already in consumers’ hands.
The lineup includes the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. But Google’s hardware messaging also focused on Gemini Intelligence, a suite of AI features that can understand what users are doing on their phones and carry out tasks across different apps.
For example, Gemini Intelligence can combine information from text messages, calendars, maps and other Google services to recommend or directly perform follow-up actions, such as checking availability, comparing travel options or making a restaurant reservation. Google is also expanding AI functions that run directly within the phone’s operating system, without requiring users to open a chatbot separately.
Rick Osterloh, Google’s head of devices and services, said in an interview that the company believes AI could fundamentally change how people use smartphones.
“Over the last 10 to 15 years, the way people use laptops and phones hasn’t changed that much,” Osterloh said. “But we think that’s about to undergo a huge transformation.”
He described Gemini Intelligence as “a whole new model of human-computer interaction” that uses agent capabilities so users can “not just get information, but actually get things done.”
The launch also puts Google in a particularly unusual position: competing directly with one of its most important AI customers.
Apple is rebuilding Siri around Google’s Gemini models, with goals broadly similar to what Google is demonstrating on the Pixel: understanding personal information, recognizing what is on the screen and performing tasks across apps.
Asked whether the Pixel could demonstrate the model’s capabilities before Gemini reaches the iPhone, Osterloh rejected the idea that the two experiences would converge.
“Clearly, Pixel and iPhone are heading in very different directions,” Osterloh said. “Leading with new technology has always been central to the Pixel product strategy, especially Gemini and AI-related features.”
He cited scam detection, Rambler voice transcription technology and Gemini’s deep integration into Android as examples of Google’s differentiated experience.
“All of those are capabilities that are unique to Android and Gemini Intelligence,” he said. “To experience these features, users need to buy a Pixel or another Android phone.”
Both companies face the same fundamental question: whether increasingly capable AI will be enough to persuade consumers to replace their phones.
Osterloh acknowledged that AI is not yet the top reason consumers upgrade, but said its priority in purchase decisions has risen significantly in recent years.
Data from market research firm Counterpoint shows that AI currently ranks roughly sixth or seventh among consumers’ reasons for replacing a phone. In the latest survey, that ranking had risen by one to two places as Gemini and Apple Intelligence improved.
Taran Pathak, a research director at Counterpoint, said the key to turning potential interest into actual phone replacements is building compelling use cases and raising public awareness. He expects Apple Intelligence to catalyze an iPhone upgrade cycle and noted that Apple has more generative-AI-capable smartphones already in consumers’ hands than any other brand.
Google’s long-term vision is for Gemini to occupy a more central role in how people use their devices.
“We believe its importance will continue to grow, and in the future it could even become the primary way people interact with phones, laptops and other devices,” Osterloh said.
At the same time, Google must contend with an industrywide challenge: shortages of memory chips are driving up hardware costs.
“The memory shortage is very apparent. Both RAM and flash memory are in tight supply,” Osterloh said.
He said constrained supply was forcing consumer-electronics companies to raise prices and that Google’s own devices would face additional cost pressure.
“In the short term, almost every manufacturer will have to raise product prices,” Osterloh said. “We’ve also made clear that, like other companies in the industry, our product prices will go up.”
The new Pixel generation gives Google its first opportunity to test whether a highly autonomous AI assistant can truly change smartphone-use habits.
Apple will soon place a bet on the same arena, with a much larger installed base. Counterpoint data shows that Apple has the world’s largest installed base of generative-AI-compatible smartphones already in consumers’ hands.