Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google is working on a version of the “Pixie” assistant that was reported on back in 2023 for the Pixel 10.
- Dubbed “Pixel Sense,” the new app will use data from multiple Google apps and services to provide contextual predictions.
- All the processing will take place completely on-device.
For the longest time, Google has always dreamt of a truly smart and contextual assistant. Unfortunately, its initial attempts, such as the “new” Google Assistant and the canceled version of “At A Glance,” have failed, but a report from 2023 indicated it was not done trying. The rumored “Pixie” was supposed to be an on-device assistant for Google Pixels, which would use data from other Google services to be truly a smart helper. It was supposed to launch alongside the Pixel 9, however we haven’t heard anything about it since the initial report.
This changes now, as thanks to a source inside Google, Android Authority has learned that Google intends to launch a version of “Pixie” on the Pixel 10, but under a new moniker. Say hello to Pixel Sense.
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Enter Pixel Sense
Google has decided to name the new app “Pixel Sense.” It was described by the company in one sentence: “Get the most personalized experience based on the things you do on your Pixel.”
As originally rumored, Pixel Sense will be able to use information from other apps, such as:
- Calendar
- Chrome
- Contacts
- Docs
- Files
- Gmail
- Keep Notes
- Maps
- Messages
- Phone
- Photos
- Aurelius (most likely some currently unreleased app)
- Recorder
- Screenshots
- Wallet
- YT Music
- YouTube
Additionally, it will also be able to process media files, including text, images, AI-generated content, and associated metadata. It will also process screenshots, just like Pixel Screenshots: “Pixel Sense processes your screenshots to identify metadata and learn from it. Use the Pixel Sense App to organize and search screenshots.”
While all of this is interesting, it unfortunately does not tell us much as to how it will work. Fortunately, Google has provided a bit of context:
- “Personal predictive suggestions: Takes notes to suggests personal data like places, products, and names, right when you need them.”
- “Complete tasks faster: Learns how you use your phone to help you complete tasks and routines faster.”
- “Adapting to your interests: Learns which topics are important to you and keeps evolving with you.”
As indicated by the original report, the feature will run fully on-device: “Experience fast and intelligent help, no matter if you are online or offline”, “Your data stays private—visible only to you, not even Google can see it.” Presumably, this means it will rely on Gemini Nano.
It will be exciting to see if Google can finally achieve a fully contextual assistant. It’s undoubtedly a difficult task, but maybe with the power of Gemini Nano and the new fully in-house Tensor chips, it will finally be possible. The Pixel 10 series will be released later this year.
