Google has a pattern of debuting new artificial intelligence features alongside its latest hardware, creating the impression that upgrading is the only path to accessing the company’s newest capabilities. But a closer look at the Pixel 10a — the anticipated mid-range phone expected to arrive later this year — reveals that many of its headline AI features are already accessible on the Pixel 9 series, and in some cases, on even older Pixel devices. The gap between what Google markets as exclusive and what actually requires new hardware is narrower than most consumers realize.
According to a detailed breakdown by MakeUseOf, several of the AI features that have been associated with the Pixel 10a are already rolling out — or have already rolled out — to Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold owners through software updates. This raises an important question for the millions of existing Pixel owners: Is there any reason to upgrade for AI alone?
The Pixel Feature Drop Pipeline: Software Over Silicon
Google’s strategy for distributing AI features has shifted significantly over the past two years. Rather than gating capabilities behind specific chipsets indefinitely, the company has increasingly used its quarterly Pixel Feature Drops to push new tools to a broader range of supported devices. The Tensor G4 chip inside the Pixel 9 series is more than capable of running the same on-device AI models that the Pixel 10a’s expected Tensor G5 will handle, and Google appears to acknowledge this by backporting features well ahead of new hardware launches.
Among the most talked-about features linked to the Pixel 10a are enhancements to Gemini, Google’s multimodal AI assistant. Gemini has received steady updates across all Pixel 9 devices, including the ability to interact with on-screen content, generate images, and perform multi-step tasks through natural language commands. As MakeUseOf notes, Pixel 9 users already have access to Gemini Live, which allows free-flowing voice conversations with the AI — a feature that was initially positioned as a flagship exclusive when the Pixel 9 series launched in August 2024.
Camera AI and Photo Editing: The Real Differentiators — Or Not
Google’s computational photography has long been the crown jewel of the Pixel lineup, and AI-powered camera features are typically the strongest argument for upgrading. Yet many of the photo-editing tools expected to ship with the Pixel 10a are already present on the Pixel 9. Magic Eraser, Best Take, and Magic Editor — which uses generative AI to reframe, resize, and alter elements of a photograph — are all available on current-generation Pixel hardware. The Photo Unblur feature, which uses machine learning to sharpen old, blurry photos, has been available since the Pixel 7 generation.
The one area where the Pixel 10a could potentially differentiate itself is in real-time camera processing during capture, where a newer chipset might offer faster or more efficient on-device inference. But for post-capture editing, which is where most of Google’s AI photography magic happens, the processing is increasingly handled in the cloud via Google’s servers. This means the hardware gap between a Pixel 9 and a Pixel 10a, at least for photo AI, is functionally minimal for the average user.
Call Screening, Summarization, and the Gemini Nano Push
One of the most practical AI features Google has developed is Call Screen, which uses on-device AI to answer calls from unknown numbers, transcribe the caller’s intent in real time, and let the user decide whether to pick up. This feature has been available on Pixel phones for years and continues to receive incremental improvements. The Pixel 9 series already runs an advanced version of Call Screen powered by Gemini Nano, Google’s smallest on-device language model.
Gemini Nano is also behind the Recorder app’s ability to generate summaries of voice recordings and the Gboard smart reply suggestions that appear in messaging apps. According to MakeUseOf, these features — once billed as Pixel 9 exclusives — are the same capabilities expected to be marketed alongside the Pixel 10a. For Pixel 9 owners, there is nothing new to wait for; the functionality is already on their devices.
Circle to Search and Multimodal Understanding
Circle to Search, which allows users to draw a circle around any object on their screen to trigger a Google search, was one of the standout features introduced with the Pixel 8 series and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 lineup in early 2024. It has since been expanded to the Pixel 9 series and a wide range of Android devices. Google has continued to enhance the feature with the ability to recognize and translate text, identify products, and even solve math problems — all of which are available on the Pixel 9 today.
The broader trend here is that Google’s AI features are increasingly platform-wide rather than device-specific. While the Pixel 10a will almost certainly launch with the latest version of Circle to Search, Pixel 9 owners will likely receive the same update simultaneously or shortly after. Google’s own support pages confirm that most AI features are distributed based on software version and Tensor chip generation, not individual phone models within the same generation.
What the Pixel 10a Might Actually Offer That’s New
This is not to say the Pixel 10a will be entirely without differentiating features. The expected Tensor G5 chip, which has been the subject of extensive reporting by outlets including 9to5Google, is rumored to be the first Tensor chip designed with significantly more input from Google’s own silicon team rather than relying heavily on Samsung’s Exynos architecture. If those reports prove accurate, the Tensor G5 could bring meaningful improvements in power efficiency and sustained AI performance — benefits that would matter for battery life and thermal management during extended AI workloads.
There is also the possibility that Google will introduce entirely new AI features at the Pixel 10a launch event that have no precedent on older hardware. Google I/O 2025, which took place in May, showcased several upcoming Android features powered by Gemini that have not yet shipped to any device, including more advanced agentic capabilities where the AI can take actions across multiple apps on the user’s behalf. These features could debut first on the Pixel 10a if they require the Tensor G5’s capabilities.
The Upgrade Calculus for Existing Pixel Owners
For Pixel 9 owners weighing whether to upgrade, the current evidence suggests patience is the wiser choice. The AI features that are already available on the Pixel 9 cover the vast majority of what Google has previewed for its next mid-range phone. The quarterly Feature Drop cadence means that even features initially exclusive to the Pixel 10a are likely to arrive on the Pixel 9 within a few months of the new phone’s release.
The calculus changes for owners of older Pixel devices — the Pixel 7 or Pixel 7a, for instance — who lack the Tensor G3 or G4 chips needed to run Gemini Nano locally. For those users, upgrading to either a Pixel 9 or the upcoming Pixel 10a would unlock a substantially different AI experience. But the choice between the two would come down to price, camera hardware preferences, and whether the Tensor G5 delivers on its efficiency promises — not AI software features, which will likely be identical across both devices.
Google’s Messaging Problem and the Perception Gap
Google’s challenge is partly one of communication. By marketing AI features as part of new hardware launches, the company creates the perception that those features are exclusive to the new device. In reality, Google’s software-first approach means that most AI capabilities are distributed broadly across its supported hardware lineup. This strategy benefits consumers but muddies the marketing message: if the Pixel 9 already does everything the Pixel 10a promises, why does the Pixel 10a exist?
The answer, of course, is that mid-range phones like the 10a serve a different market segment — buyers who want Pixel AI features at a lower price point, or users upgrading from much older devices. But for the tech-savvy Pixel 9 owner reading headlines about the Pixel 10a’s AI capabilities, the takeaway from reports like the one published by MakeUseOf is clear: you probably already have what you need. The features are on your phone. You just might need to check your settings to turn them on.
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