Sweeping Android 17 update brings new AI capabilities and features to Pixel smartphones

Google LLC today dropped the latest version of its Android operating system for mobile devices, and it’s rolling out to Pixel smartphone users first of all.

It’s a pretty sweeping update, introducing numerous artificial intelligence capabilities, new communication tools, smartwatch features and security enhancements, among upgrades.

Alongside Android 17, Pixel users will also get access to a new Pixel Drop update that enhances their smartphones with a number of exclusive features for their hardware only. Smartwatch users are also getting some new features via a new version of Google’s Wear OS platform.

The release provides us with a clearer idea of what Google’s intentions for AI in Android are. Rather than treating AI as a separate capability, the company seems to be trying to put the technology at the heart of the smartphone experience, with automation coming to everything from content creation and communication to personal assistance and productivity.

One of the most important AI updates is the addition of support for Google’s newest models, including Gemini Omni, Lyria 3 and AudioLM. These new models can handle all kinds of AI-related tasks, including speech recognition, conversations, multimodal interactions and music generation, Google said. They’re not accessible directly, but can instead be found in various applications and features on Pixel devices.

A lot of people forget that the main function of their smartphones is to actually facilitate phone calls, but Google provides a gentle reminder of this purpose in Android 17. It’s getting a new way for people to manage their phone calls.

For instance, users will be able to create a personalized audio greeting for whenever they’re unable to answer the phone. Meanwhile the “Take a Message” feature, which lets callers leave a message in a more interactive way, is coming to additional regions.

Of course, smartphones can also do a lot more than just handle calls. They’re designed to help people organize their personal and work lives too, and now Google wants people to multitask while doing that.

Android 17 brings a new interface element called “Bubble Bar” that places recently used applications in floating bubbles at the bottom of the screen. The idea is that users can click on one of those bubbles to switch back to the apps they were using a few moments earlier, rather than swiping up or pressing a button to view their active applications.

For content creators and social media enthusiasts, Android 17 introduces a new tool that allows them to capture whatever is showing on their phone’s screen while simultaneously recording themselves on video with the front selfie camera. This can help people to create reaction videos, tutorials and other content they might want to share on social media platforms, Google said.

Foldable smartphone users are getting an exclusive update, too, with a new gaming mode. It allows them to access a split-screen layout, where half of the foldable display becomes a dynamic game controller while the actual gameplay is viewed on the other half.

Meanwhile, there are new security and parental controls in the update. There’s a “Mark as Lost” option within the Find Hub tool, which allows users to secure misplaced devices, and more powerful threat detection protections. Parents will find they can now set screen-time limits on Android devices and restrict access to certain types of content or apps using a PIN number, without needing to link a Google account.

The Pixel Drop update adds even more safety features. For instance, Pixel Watch devices can automatically seek assistance if they detect a car crash, a severe fall or the loss of the user’s pulse. If it detects something like that, it can automatically contact the emergency services or predefined emergency contacts, Google said.

In a separate announcement, Google unveiled a bunch of AI-focused updates within Wear OS 7, the latest version of its Android-based smartwatch operating system. Starting this summer, users will be able to create personal widgets for their smartwatch home screens by simply telling it what they want. This will be enabled by an enhanced Gemini Intelligence, which also introduces “personal intelligence” that will use information from connected Google applications and user’s chat histories to offer more personalized assistance.

Another benefit of Wear OS 7 is improved connectivity. For instance, live updates from more smartphone apps will now appear on several Pixel Watch devices, and there are closer integrations with devices such as Google’s new AI-enabled glasses. Finally, Google said, users should notice that the battery life of their smartwatches will be up to 10% longer, thanks to various optimizations on the efficiency side.

Google said Android 17 and Wear OS 7 are rolling out on Pixel devices now, and promised that other eligible devices will receive the updates later in the year.

Images: Google