Google (GOOG, GOOGL) is bringing its generative artificial intelligence to a wider audience on Tuesday with the launch of its new Pixel 8a smartphone. The phone, which starts at $499, comes with many of the generative AI features found on its more expensive Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 devices, including photo and video editing capabilities.
Google says the 6.1-inch Pixel 8a will have access to the company’s Gemini generative chatbot, as well as AI-based generative features like Best Take and Circle to Search. The company also says that users will eventually have access to Gemini Nano, a smaller version of the large Gemini language model that runs directly on the Pixel 8a, in a future update.
The standard version of Gemini requires an Internet connection to process your requests through Google’s cloud servers. Gemini Nano runs directly on your device, allowing it to perform some generative AI tasks without accessing the web.
The Pixel 8a packs Google’s latest Tensor G3 chip, 128GB of storage with an option to upgrade to 256GB, and a new 120Hz display for smoother gaming and scrolling. There is also a 64-megapixel wide-angle camera with Super Res zoom that simulates a telephoto lens and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera.
Google previously rolled out a number of the Pixel 8a’s generative AI features alongside the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro in October. The most notable AI offering is Magic Editor, which lets you remove unwanted people and objects from images or move them around your photo by simply circling them. I might, for example, edit a photo of myself to look like I was dunking a basketball, something I could never do, or remove a passerby who walked into my photo to make it look like I was diving a basketball. he was never there.
Circle to Search is an equally cool feature that lets you circle an object in an image and instantly search for it online via Google Search. The idea is to make it easier to find products you saw in a photo and buy them online. You can also highlight text in an image to quickly search for it through Google.
Then there’s Best Take, intended for use with group photos. When you take a photo, Best Take will take a series of images of everyone’s face. If someone blinked in the photo, you can use Best Shot to replace the person’s face with one of the photos in which they didn’t blink. Best Take only changes the person’s face, not their body.
There’s also Magic Audio Eraser, which helps you remove background noise in your videos and better isolate sound from the main subject.
It’s all part of Google’s efforts to turn its generative AI offerings into compelling consumer features that will drive device sales across its Android smartphone lineup. The company has also partnered with Samsung to bring some of the same capabilities to that company’s Galaxy S24 line…
