Club Benefits
WWDC 2026 is less than two weeks away and we’ll likely get our first look at iOS 27. There’s clearly a sense of urgency with this reveal, as Apple intends to make AI a serious focus at its developers conference — especially since new Apple Intelligence features were practically non-existent with the iOS 26 rollout last fall.
If there’s one company that has proven to me the value of AI, it’s none other than Google with its lineup of Pixel phones. Even now, I still say that its latest Pixel models are some of the best phones powered by AI. In fact, I’ve spent a great deal of time testing them out to uncover whether they’re practical or merely gimmicky.
With iOS 27 on the horizon, Apple can’t afford to come up short. Here are the biggest Google Pixel AI features I hope Apple adapts in some capacity with iOS 27 — and eventually, help power the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max later this fall.
Call Screen
I’ve already compared in detail the superior performance of Google’s Call Screen feature, which uses AI to take phone calls on my behalf when I’m too busy or don’t want to be bothered. It’s more than just a service that transcribes messages in real time — it functions like a real human assistant.
When iOS 26 launched, Apple introduced its own version of call screening that attempts to filter calls before they’re relayed to me, but it lacks the intelligence to generate proactive responses for me to choose from. I’m talking about the ability to actually comprehend the message and suggest contextual replies. The example I constantly refer back to is how Apple's current feature merely prompts the caller to leave a more detailed message.
With the Pixel’s Call Screen feature, though, the AI goes way beyond that to recommend smart, situational actions — like asking a delivery driver to leave a package, telling a friend I’m running late, or even coordinating a rescheduled doctor’s appointment.
Rumors hint at a new, smarter version of Siri, so I hope this always-on AI agent can act as the reliable gatekeeper I can trust to handle phone calls on my behalf.
Pro Res Zoom
There's a good reason phone makers are introducing fewer hardware upgrades with each new generation. Instead, they’re leaning on AI to bridge the performance gap — and nothing proves that to me more than the Pixel 10 Pro’s Pro Res Zoom feature.
In my 200-photo face-off between the Pixel 10 Pro XL and iPhone 17 Pro Max, I showed the immediate impact Pro Res Zoom has on shots captured beyond 30x. The AI analyzes the entire frame, draws out clarity with the help of generative AI, and ultimately injects crisp detail into what would normally be a blurry mess.
The difference is staggering. If Apple intends to keep pace with the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, it desperately needs to adapt this feature in iOS 27 to level the playing field. Beyond that, I’d love to see Apple lean on generative AI for other image enhancements — like having the native ability to add detail and clarity to photos that are cropped down long after they're taken.
Gemini’s task automation
Although it debuted first on the Galaxy S26, Gemini’s task automation feature rapidly rolled out to the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL. This capability finally lets Gemini perform complex, multi-step actions completely on its own. It’s advanced to the point where I actually tasked the AI agent with ordering me a coffee from Dunkin’ via DoorDash — and it handled the process seamlessly, without my intervention.
Apple has nothing remotely close to this in iOS 26, but this dream is likely to become a reality based on recent screenshot renders of the overhauled Siri debuting with iOS 27. While I’m confident that Apple's new assistant will handle native phone tasks with ease, the real test will be seeing how deeply it integrates across the entire platform — especially with third-party apps.
Voice Translate
One of the more specialized Google AI features I’ve tested is Voice Translate, which is exclusive to the Pixel 10 lineup. It uses generative AI to translate live phone calls into another language, but the real magic is that it clones your actual voice — complete with a natural-sounding accent in the target language.
During a test call with a German speaker, my voice on his end actually sounded like me speaking fluent German. What makes it even more convincing is how the AI understands vocal inflections, making the conversation feel vastly more genuine than a standard translation app.
Apple currently offers Live Translation in iOS 26, but it’s a straightforward, text-to-speech service that relies on a generic, robotic voice. It feels incredibly artificial, which is exactly why Google’s hyper-realistic implementation stands out.
Ask Photos
And finally, there’s one of the most powerful generative photo editing tools I’ve tested to date: Ask Photos. Initially exclusive to the Pixel 10 lineup, it has since been integrated as a core feature within Google Photos. This incredible tool allows me to perform complex image manipulations that would normally take ages in desktop software, executing them in seconds through simple text prompts.
Whether I’m swapping out a distracting background or completely changing my outfit to something else, the creative freedom and time savings are incredible. Just look at the before and after images had Ask Photos edit for me above.
Apple currently offers nothing like it, so I’m eager to see if iOS 27 copies it directly or if Apple injects its own unique spin to make the iPhone's implementation stand out. Either way, iOS 27 is in desperate need of a versatile, text-to-edit photo engine that goes far beyond the basic capabilities of Apple's existing Clean Up tool.
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