The Google Pixel 10 is nearly here, and we have spent the last few months sifting through leaks and rumors. While the Made By Google event on August 20 will confirm these rumors, we don’t think Google has many surprises left in store for us.
In short, it’s not the hardware you should be excited about. It’s the software that could make the Pixel 10 the best Pixel yet.
Google Gemini is now impossible to avoid. It lurks in the corners of our apps and phones, popping up whenever you think you’ve disabled it for good.
I’ve found most of Gemini’s new features unimpressive, and the resulting bloated software experience has soured my relationship with Pixel phones.
However, if the rumors are true, Google could redeem itself thanks to this one feature.
Google owes my renewed interest in Gemini to Nothing
Nothing proved AI on Android isn’t just a gimmick
When Nothing’s Phone 3 launched in July, it generated considerable interest in its unconventional design and high price tag. However, its AI features sparked relatively little discussion.
Essential Space and Essential Search effectively addressed existing problems with minimal fanfare, but they weren’t as controversial as the phone’s design.
Unlike Google, Nothing didn’t dedicate time to promoting AI-powered gimmicks that look impressive at a tech demo, but go mostly unused in reality.
Instead, it created an AI assistant that pulls up relevant notes when you need them, and a search tool that is your destination for anything you need on your phone. This approach is substantially different from Google’s ham-fisted approach to Gemini.
I understand that the AI arms race leaves no space for subtlety, but the result is a bloated Android experience where I leave half the features untouched.
Nothing has shown me there is potential for a useful AI assistant on Android, so the rumors of Magic Cue’s capabilities feel more substantial than the usual AI hype. If true, Magic Cue could be the first true AI assistant on Android.
How Magic Cue takes Gemini to the next level
A proactive assistant that provides the information you need before you ask
Take a picture of an upcoming event poster, save it to Nothing’s Essential Space app, and wait. A few days before the event, the app will remind you of the upcoming event.
It’s a simple feature on the surface, but it solves a big problem. How many photos and screenshots do you save to your phone that then go forgotten until it’s too late?
Nothing’s solution makes its AI features feel closer to a true “assistant” than anything before because it acts proactively.
The term “AI assistant” is overused and carries little meaning; it’s hardly an assistant when you have to do most of the work yourself.
Essential Space works proactively like a real assistant, but it’s limited in scope. Magic Cue could take the concept much further.
According to the first leak discussing Magic Cue, the feature would “use AI to display helpful details and time-saving actions based on the app you’re using.
For example, if a friend asks for your flight number in a chat, Magic Cue can find it from your Gmail, saving you the search.”
This was the first leak about the Pixel 10 that made me take a personal interest in the phone.
One of the reasons I struggle to fit Gemini’s generative AI into my daily life is that I have to verify the answers anyway. I could ask it to find a flight number, but there’s a non-zero chance it will get it completely wrong.
Magic Cue differs as it will pull information directly from sources on my phone that I’ve already verified as true. While it could pull the wrong flight number from an old trip, I will have enough knowledge to immediately verify its prompt.
I regularly forget about events I spot on posters, so Nothing sold me with its example of generating reminders from photos of concert flyers.
I fly frequently, and I answer a flurry of text messages before each trip with screenshots of my flight details.
If Magic Cue works as intended, you can bet I’ll be reactivating Gemini on my phone.
I’m fascinated by the potential of Magic Cue. Pulling an example from Gmail is great, but if Google can extend this functionality to Calendar, Photos, or Drive, it could mark a landmark moment in how I use my phone.
For example, if a friend asks me if I’m free on a certain day, Magic Cue could display all the events I have scheduled for that day. If someone asks me for photos of my holiday, Magic Cue could pull all the photos with the relevant location data.
Magic Cue could be the most helpful AI feature yet, and it’s got me excited for the Pixel 10
Don’t buy into the hype just yet
While Magic Cue has got me thinking about upgrading to the Pixel 10, I won’t pre-order it.
Google has previously relied on AI hype, not results, to generate sales, so I won’t be surprised if Magic Cue ends up as another AI flop.
Nevertheless, if it works, I may replace my trusty Pixel 8 sooner rather than later.
