The top 8 AI features

Google’s Pixel phones set themselves apart from other Android flagships thanks to their numerous software features. The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are equipped with a Tensor G3 chip, making them AI powerhouses. You can use them to edit pictures, remove background noise, generate AI wallpapers, and more. If you plan to upgrade to the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, read on to find out some of the most significant AI functions offered by Google’s latest flagship phones.

Are all the new AI features available on the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro?

No. Some of the latest AI features are exclusive to the Google Pixel 8 Pro. This restriction seems arbitrary, as these features rely on the cloud and the Tensor G3 chip, which both phones can access.

We note whether the features in this article are exclusive to the Pixel 8 Pro.

1. Magic Editor: The Pixel 8’s superpowered Magic Eraser

Magic Eraser is a nifty editing trick that uses generative AI to remove objects or mute their colors with a quick swipe of your finger. It isn’t exclusive to Pixel phones, but the new Magic Editor tool is.

Magic Editor is a superpowered Magic Eraser. You don’t need pro-level editing skills to move objects around, change the color of the sky and sea, add clouds, and add fancy stylized effects. It’s a shortcut to image editing tools that advanced tools like Photoshop use. Google has also improved Magic Eraser.

Availability: Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

2. Magic Audio Eraser: Remove unwanted background noise

Magic Audio Eraser identifies background noise in your videos, allowing you to remove unwanted sounds with a swipe. As shown in our demonstration below, it isn’t perfect, but it’s a handy tool for those frustrating situations where the wind obscures your voice.

Availability: Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

3. Best Take: The slightly creepy yet helpful face editor

Best Take changes a subject’s face in a group photo to a selection of expressions generated from other images. The Pixel 8 provides a few alternatives, which you can swap with a tap. You can also manually choose a different expression from other pictures.

This feature can be a lifesaver if you struggle to get the perfect family photo. Still, AP’s Will Sattelberg noted Best Take might take things too far. Nevertheless, it’s an impressive piece of AI work from Google.

Availability: Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

4. Recorder: Add AI-generated summaries to your transcripts

The Recorder app is exclusive to Pixel phones and offers the best recording and transcription tools of any voice recorder app on the Google Play Store. It can record speech, voice notes, or presentations. Thanks to the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro’s hardware, a new feature, Summarize, creates AI-generated summaries of recordings in brief bullet points.

Availability: Google Pixel 8 Pro

5. Zoom Enhance: 30x zoom before and after you take the shot

The Pixel 8 Pro features a 48MP telephoto lens with up to 30x zoom. It returned from the Pixel 7 Pro, but the Pixel 8 Pro features Zoom Enhance to let you zoom further after taking a photo.

Zoom in and crop a photo, and Zoom Enhance uses generative AI to smooth out the pixelation and add fine details. This futuristic piece of AI adds to the Pixel 8 Pro’s extensive editing tools.

Availability: Launches on the Google Pixel 8 Pro in an upcoming Pixel Feature Drop.

6. Video Boost: Pro quality video editing

Google has plenty of photo editing tools, allowing you to improve dynamic range, colors, and more with a couple of taps. Editing videos is a different beast. That is where the cloud-based Video Boost comes in.

Video Boost uses AI to improve video quality. It also utilizes Night Sight and HDR+ to improve the lighting. The work is done in the cloud, not on your phone, due to the intensive requirements of this task.

Availability: Google Pixel 8 Pro

7. AI wallpapers: Create a one-of-a-kind wallpaper

The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro’s AI wallpaper tool generates AI art for your phone screen. If you’re familiar with the methodology behind AI-generated art, you’ll notice it is essentially the same thing. Enter a prompt, and your Pixel 8 attempts to generate an image to match.

At launch, this tool had limitations. Prompts were restricted, and the output often featured distracting artifacts. It’s still a nifty way to generate a new wallpaper for your phone.

Availability: Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

8. Improved Face Unlock: Inching closer to FaceID

Face Unlock was available on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Due to the lack of dedicated hardware, you can’t use it to make payments or access apps. The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro don’t have facial hardware, but the AI and ML capabilities of the Tensor G3 chip allow for making payments and signing in to apps.

You can turn off this feature if you don’t feel comfortable relying on AI algorithms to access secure information on your phone.

Availability: Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro

The Pixel 8 is a phone powered by AI

Google has added numerous features to its latest Pixel lineup. The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro have many exclusive functions you won’t find on older Pixel devices. Their AI features set them apart from other phones, with powerful photo and video editing tools, Magic Eraser, and Best Take. If you recently picked up the Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 Pro, try some of the top tips and tricks to get the most out of your device.