Google and Samsung Beat Apple to Key AI Features
▼ Summary
– Google announced new agentic features for Gemini that can perform multi-step phone tasks like ordering food, launching first on Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S26.
– The demo showed Gemini analyzing a group chat to determine pizza orders and navigating GrubHub to place the order, though it was a prerecorded video, not a live demonstration.
– This represents a strategic shift for Google, positioning Gemini as an active productivity agent within Android, building on its recent auto-browse capability in Chrome.
– Google is poised to beat Apple to market with these features, as Apple’s similar Siri capabilities announced in 2024 have been delayed and are still not released.
– The success of these features depends on their actual launch, real-world functionality, and developer adoption, as Google notes it’s a beta and will initially work with select apps.
The race to integrate advanced, proactive artificial intelligence into our smartphones has taken a significant turn. Google has announced a new suite of “agentic” features for its Gemini AI, designed to handle complex, multi-step tasks directly on your device. This functionality is slated to debut first on the upcoming Pixel 10 series and the new Samsung Galaxy S26, positioning these Android partners ahead of a key competitor. The move is notable because it brings to life a vision of AI assistance that Apple famously previewed but has yet to deliver.
During a recent presentation, Google’s Android president demonstrated the potential. In a prerecorded video, Gemini analyzed a chaotic family group chat about dinner plans. The AI identified individual pizza preferences from the text, compiled an order, and then navigated a food delivery app to place it. The user simply gave a final voice command to proceed, with Gemini handling the clicks and form-filling before presenting the completed order for a final review and submission.
While manually ordering pizza is hardly a monumental challenge, the demonstration represents a substantial shift in how we might interact with our devices. This push transforms Gemini from a reactive chatbot into an active productivity partner capable of taking actions across applications. It follows Google’s recent integration of auto-browse capabilities in Chrome, suggesting a clear strategy to embed helpful AI agents deeply into the user experience. The ambition is for Gemini to act as a digital assistant that understands context and executes tasks with minimal guidance.
This development means Google is poised to deliver, at least in a beta form, concepts that Apple showcased with great fanfare nearly two years prior. At its 2024 developer conference, Apple presented “Apple Intelligence” features where Siri would comprehend on-screen content and perform cross-app actions. One demo illustrated Siri extracting an address from a text message and adding it to a contact card automatically. Another showed the assistant retrieving a flight time from a personal email upon request. However, following an announced delay in early 2025, these features remain unavailable, with some reports suggesting a wait until a future iOS update.
Naturally, questions surround Google’s rollout. The initial release is labeled a beta, implying possible limitations or bugs during early access. A major unknown is developer adoption and the “DoorDash problem”, how many app makers will permit an AI agent to operate within their services on a user’s behalf. Google has stated initial compatibility will be with select food delivery and rideshare apps, but broader ecosystem support is crucial for the feature’s long-term utility.
For now, the landscape has shifted. By moving these agentic capabilities from concept to imminent release, Google and Samsung have seized the initiative. Apple, once the heralded pioneer of this next AI step, now finds itself in a position where it must not only deliver its promised features but also match the practical implementation its rivals are bringing to market.
(Source: The Verge)
