A common way of thinking at Google and other big tech companies is that you're not building for your current users. Your current users will hate it if you move or change the color of a single button in Gmail. Also cue the "faster horse" aphorism. You're building for the next billion (or five).
But of course, the problem with Google is that they already have basically every person on the planet as their customer, and their ideas for how the future should look like aren't exactly transformative. The Gmail UX in 2026 is not radically different / better than in 2016. The same goes for Chrome. Android phones have better cameras and displays compared to ten years ago, but the software functionality is mostly the same.
So I guess they're in the same spot as Microsoft, trying to innovate in a mildly user-hostile way, looking for an audience that doesn't exist?
Flashy features often seem more targeted at tech reviewers and impressive demos than actual day-to-day use. Like movies having some scenes purely because they look good in a trailer.
Google is entrenched with career opportunists who are self serving, and are, excuse the lack of a better word, shitting out work to move stupid KPIs and continue the bureaucracy. A bloated Product org that advocates that something must be done, and is not focused.
Although I think these features were in whatever pixel I had before.
Adding events to calendar is my most common use case.
I also have AI look at the screen and do stuff. My biggest complaint here, it doesn't go far enough. If I take a picture of contact info, I want it to be added, I don't want to go through the extra step of downloading a contact card.
At the library and they have like 12 posters of upcoming events. I take pictures of them, then later have it added to my calendar. Way easier than jumping back and forth between screens or adding them while my 6 kids are itching for books or trying to leave.
I own a company and I get text/img messages about meetings or events. There's a bit of overwhelm I'm experiencing, and this just makes life easier.
Apple complete failure early on with Apple Intelligence was really the best business move ever. I’m so, so glad my device has no agentic stuff.
They learned their mistake, didn’t double down, let the others spend their money and energy trying to figure out what that whole AI thing is about. Just a perfect timing
I was tired of waiting for Google to make something as powerful as Openclaw on my Android and so I did it myself.
I have Gmail & calendar control, web search, alarms, maps, contacts & phone, scheduled tasks & tasks triggered by things like notifications (I'm planning reacting to geofences & other events). You can create scripts to execute all these tools in a deterministic way & custom skills you can create to mix & match all these tools. For example I created a script that handles sending a message using Telegram reading the screen and tapping things using the accessibility service, it feels like magic.
Right now I'm using models from Gemini API & Openrouter (deepseek flash v4 0731 is cheap & good enough).
All data is in my phone
This is not to brag is just to show how relatively easy you can do this on your Android phone. With an agenting loop, skills with tools (loaded on demand), and things like device control via accessibility service can do almost anything.
I trust Gemini API because they already have all my data and in Openrouter I have only enabled providers with Zero Data Retention and that are not using prompts for training (you can check Openrouter docs for this).
As you can imagine the official Deepseek API doesn't honor these conditions but there are US based provider like Novita, Coreweave... that serve this specific Deepsek model and honor them.
> For example I created a script that handles sending a message using Telegram reading the screen and tapping things using the accessibility service, it feels like magic.
Are you disclosing to people that they are interacting with an agent? If I learned a friend is using an agent to communicate with me they would get blocked right away. It’s really rude.
Also, you can do that via telegram API, no? no need for such an overcomplicated system
I think Samsung has the best amount of AI (once you turn off the Google crap). There are tons of things that work like magic. You don't even notice you are using AI.
Even Bixby turned out to be uuseful. Although I have disabled the shortcut and generally don't use it much.
I have a Flip 7 and did the opposite - turned off all Samsung stuff. Maybe that was wrong? Can you give some concrete examples of useful Samsung AI stuff please?
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[ 0.27 ms ] story [ 41.5 ms ] threadBut hey it let some product manager check the “we got some of that AI” box.
But of course, the problem with Google is that they already have basically every person on the planet as their customer, and their ideas for how the future should look like aren't exactly transformative. The Gmail UX in 2026 is not radically different / better than in 2016. The same goes for Chrome. Android phones have better cameras and displays compared to ten years ago, but the software functionality is mostly the same.
So I guess they're in the same spot as Microsoft, trying to innovate in a mildly user-hostile way, looking for an audience that doesn't exist?
Although I think these features were in whatever pixel I had before.
Adding events to calendar is my most common use case.
I also have AI look at the screen and do stuff. My biggest complaint here, it doesn't go far enough. If I take a picture of contact info, I want it to be added, I don't want to go through the extra step of downloading a contact card.
I really want an OpenClaw-like AI for my phone.
I feel like companies are pushing AI for stuff that saves a minute of your time in exchange for huge privacy red flags and sloppy updates
At the library and they have like 12 posters of upcoming events. I take pictures of them, then later have it added to my calendar. Way easier than jumping back and forth between screens or adding them while my 6 kids are itching for books or trying to leave.
I own a company and I get text/img messages about meetings or events. There's a bit of overwhelm I'm experiencing, and this just makes life easier.
They learned their mistake, didn’t double down, let the others spend their money and energy trying to figure out what that whole AI thing is about. Just a perfect timing
I have Gmail & calendar control, web search, alarms, maps, contacts & phone, scheduled tasks & tasks triggered by things like notifications (I'm planning reacting to geofences & other events). You can create scripts to execute all these tools in a deterministic way & custom skills you can create to mix & match all these tools. For example I created a script that handles sending a message using Telegram reading the screen and tapping things using the accessibility service, it feels like magic.
Right now I'm using models from Gemini API & Openrouter (deepseek flash v4 0731 is cheap & good enough).
All data is in my phone
This is not to brag is just to show how relatively easy you can do this on your Android phone. With an agenting loop, skills with tools (loaded on demand), and things like device control via accessibility service can do almost anything.
It's stored in your phone but it's still going to the LLM when working on it, right?
Unless you invented a system of magic placeholders?
As you can imagine the official Deepseek API doesn't honor these conditions but there are US based provider like Novita, Coreweave... that serve this specific Deepsek model and honor them.
You trust someone because they already stole from everyone and spied on everyone?
Are you disclosing to people that they are interacting with an agent? If I learned a friend is using an agent to communicate with me they would get blocked right away. It’s really rude.
Also, you can do that via telegram API, no? no need for such an overcomplicated system
Even Bixby turned out to be uuseful. Although I have disabled the shortcut and generally don't use it much.