Google has announced a “surprise Pixel Drop” for its Pixel smartphones and smartwatches, which really isn’t a surprise at all.
You can count us mildly baffled by this choice of language from Google. After all, the company pretty reliably releases one of its feature-laden firmware updates for its Pixel phones – ostensibly every few months, but more recently each and every month.
Look, here’s our round-up of the June Pixel Drop. And here’s a summary of the May Pixel Drop.
Misuse of the word ‘surprise’ aside, here’s what Google has added in the July Pixel Drop. It’s far from the biggest update that we’ve seen, but there’s still some cool stuff in here.
Generate videos with Veo 3
Veo 3 is finally here, bringing Google’s powerful AI video generation tool to Pixel phones. Or at least, those with a Google AI Pro or AI Ultra subscription.
As Google is keen to point out, if you bought a Pixel 9 Pro, you’ll get a year’s subscription for free. You can pick one of those up super cheap as part of Amazon’s Prime Day deals extravaganza right now, and given how minor an upgrade the Pixel 10 Pro is looking set to be, this could be a smart buy.
But we digress. With Veo 3 you can type out an idea, and have it automatically formulated into a freakily convincing AI-generated video – including audio. It’s all very impressive, once you stave off the existential dread that it evokes.
Gemini on Pixel Watch
Gemini has arrived on Pixel Watch wearables – and not before time.
The ability to use natural language requests to form playlists and ask about restaurants always felt like something that would sit well on a tiny wrist-mounted screen.
Following the update, Gemini will take the place of Google Assistant, as announced back in May.
This also means that the recently announced Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 won’t be the first smartwatch with Gemini after all.
Upgraded Circle to Search
Circle to Search has also received an upgrade in the July Pixel Drop. AI Mode allows you to ask follow-up questions about on-screen information, though it’s only available in the U.S. and India at present.
More broadly, you can now use Circle to Search within games to get help without switching apps. It’ll surface relevant articles and even appropriately timestamped videos to guide you through your present predicament.
The July Pixel Update should be rolling out soon. Head to System > Software updates and check if it’s available on your Pixel device.
