Pixel 10 series: Magic Cue to Camera Coach, Gemini AI features explained

Google introduces the Pixel 10 series with Android 16, highlighting Gemini AI tools like Magic Cue, Camera Coach, NotebookLM integration into Screenshot, and more. Here's what they'll do

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Google on August 20 launched the Pixel 10 series, which brings advancements into mobile artificial intelligence – powered by Gemini. The series encompasses the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. All four models debuts with Android 16 and a suite of AI-powered features, including the new Magic Cue and Camera Coach features. Notably, the Pro models in the lineup come with a complementary Google AI Pro yearly subscription, offering access to Google’s image and video generation tools such as Imagen 4 and Veo 3. Let’s deep dive into all the Gemini and other AI-powered features that the Pixel 10 series bring to consumers.

Pixel 10 series: AI features explained

Magic Cue: Magic Cue seems to be Google’s magic wand that connects the dots of our life, anticipates what we need, and then pulls up that information on our screen without us even asking for it. For example, imagine you’ve booked a flight ticket and you’re calling an airline to confirm something. The first thing that the call operator will ask us will be our ticket details. Magic Cue pulls up flight details from our phone and brings them up on the call screen for easy reference. Google said this experience is powered by its on-device Gemini nano model.

 

Google apps extensions on Gemini: We do not need to manually do everything now. Imagine you’re planning a trip somewhere and you want to see a map highlighting all the places that you will be visiting. In such case, you can simply ask Gemini to pull up the email that has the itinerary for your trip and create a map of all the places you will be visiting. It will do the heavy lifting for you and create that map, while you rest or maybe focus on some other task.

 

Gemini Live: Instead of typing, you can use Gemini Live for natural, hands-free conversations. Users can share screens, images, files, or YouTube videos. Gemini will automatically analyse what’s on screen and then respond accordingly.

 

Voice translate: Pixel 10 smartphones, with Tensor G5 chipset and on-device AI, is capable of real-time voice translation on calls. Importantly, it uses AI to generate the translated audio in speaker’s voice. Voice translate works when translating to or from English with Hindi, Spanish, German, Japanese, French, Italian, Portuguese, Swedish, Russian and Indonesian.

NotebookLM in Screenshots and Recorder: Google is now connecting its AI research assistant, NotebookLM, with two Pixel tools — Screenshots and Recorder. This means when you capture a screenshot, the phone can recognise if it contains information that might be useful for your notes, and it will suggest adding it directly to your notebook for easier reference. In the same way, any transcript you create using the Recorder app can also be saved to NotebookLM, letting you keep research material and conversations organised in one place.

 

Pixel Journal: Pixel journal is a new app designed as a private space on the phone where users can take time for themselves. It focuses on well-being, personal growth, and maintaining a steady habit of reflection. Instead of leaving you to stare at a blank page, the app uses on-device AI to suggest writing prompts that make it easier to process your thoughts and put them into words. Over time, it analyses your entries to highlight recurring patterns and progress, giving you a clearer sense of how you’re evolving in different aspects of your life. Privacy is built into the feature — the journal can be locked so that everything written stays secure and personal.

 

Save it for later with Pixel screenshots: On Pixel phones, the “Save it for later” option lets you keep a screenshot handy without saving it to your Photos app. Instead of cluttering your gallery, the screenshot stays in a temporary space so you can quickly share or paste it into apps like Gmail, Docs, or Messages. If you don’t end up using it, the phone clears it automatically after some time.

 

Auto best take: Remember a situation when you were with a group standing in front of a breathtaking view, and you tried capturing the moment in multiple shots, but none turned out to be perfect? With the new Auto Best Take, Pixel can automatically find and combine similar photos into one where everyone looks their best. And with an improved Add Me feature, you can now even add the photographer to the group picture so that no one feels left out.

 

Writing support in Gboard: Google is also bringing writing support directly into Gboard with a new set of Writing Tools. Think of it as more than just a spellchecker — while it still catches typos, it can now suggest complete rewrites of what you’ve written, depending on the tone you want. For example, if you need a text to sound more formal for work or you’d rather make it casual for a friend, Gboard can adjust it for you. It also goes a step further by recommending emojis that match the mood of your message, so you don’t have to scroll endlessly to find the right one. And if typing feels like too much effort, you can even use voice commands to rephrase or rewrite your text on the spot.

Recorder turns into a studio: Recorder is adding a new feature that lets users create music directly from their voice recordings. Whether it’s humming a tune or singing a few lines, the app can process the input and generate a track in a chosen musical style. This means quick vocal ideas can now be turned into structured music, making the Recorder more than just a tool for storing notes.

 

Circle to search: Google’s circle to search feature lets users circle, scribble, or tap on anything on their screen — from images to text — to instantly search it on Google without switching apps.

 

Camera coach: To put it in very simple terms, this feature will be the personal coach for those who aren’t that good with photography. Google will guide you to optimise your angle to get the best photo possible, or you can also click on “get inspired,” and it will suggest scenes you didn’t even consider.