Original ‘Pixie’ Was Scrapped for Pixel Screenshots and Pixel Sense
Back on March 12th I wrote an article here that outlined the history of the rumored Pixie Assistant and how it is apparently set to arrive on the Pixel 10 as the new Pixel Sense feature. When that news broke, it seemed a bit strange to me that what we had heard Pixie was going to be good at doing really wasn’t what Pixel Sense was about. Sure, there’s some crossover, but it seems like the aim is entirely different.
Pixie was said to basically be an amped up version of Gemini, capable of working not just multimodally, but also across various apps. I invoked a scene from a recent Google IO that seemed to be exactly like what was being said. In this demo, Sundar Pichai pointed Gemini at a photo of a pair of shoes and said “I want to return these.” Gemini understood what they were, searched his Gmail for a receipt, found the return form, filled it out, scheduled a UPS pickup and added it to the calendar.
As neat as this sounds, Pixel Sense is said to be something totally different. Like this demo, Pixel Sense will be able to interface with a huge number of Google apps as well as process media files and text, but the purpose is not the same. As reported by Android Authority, Pixel Sense aims to offer predictive recommendations for “locations, items, and names” tailored to your device usage. Operating directly on your phone, probably using Gemini Nano, Pixel Sense is designed to be an intelligent and context-aware assistant that understands your activities and assists you in completing those tasks.
Instead of merely developing an assistant that can perform tasks you request, they seem to be designing one that anticipates your needs and completes tasks proactively. This is quite reminiscent of an enhanced version of Google Now from several years ago.
Back in February (apparently no one noticed), The Information posted an article behind a paywall called “Google’s AI Efforts Marred by Turf Disputes” and it seems to shed some light on exactly what is going on. It seems as though Pixie was flying to close to the sun that was Gemini. The project was not scrapped outright, but the direction was changed and Pixie became not just another app, but two apps.
…after a leadership review, employees working on the product were told Pichai had ordered a change of direction to ensure the new product didn’t compete with the Gemini assistant, which operates across all of Google’s Android devices, according to a person with direct knowledge of the instructions…. Neither product offers as many useful functions as what was initially envisioned for the Pixel assistant, according to the person.
- Quote snagged from 9to5Google
The first app apparently shipped on the Pixel 9 in the form of Pixel Screenshots. The apps package name even bears the mark of its lineage - com.google.android.apps.pixel.agent (nice catch by 9to5Google). The second app will likely arrive on the Pixel 10 as Pixel Sense.
In short, the initial vision for Pixie has been restructured. To avoid direct competition with Gemini, Google opted for a bifurcated approach. Pixel Screenshots, already implemented on the Pixel 9, represents the first phase of this adjusted strategy. The second, Pixel Sense, is slated for the Pixel 10, focusing on anticipatory, context-driven assistance much like Google Now from all those years ago.
Rather than an all-powerful Pixie, we’re getting a smart screenshots app and the resurrection of Google Now. I’d call that a win even if Pixel Screenshots never gets used on my phones. Gemini will be doing what Pixie planned to do soon enough anyways.