Google Pixel’s AI features put iPhone on the back foot: Can Apple respond?

Google Pixel 10

Apple is no stranger to being late. The iPod arrived years after the first MP3 players. The iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone. The Apple Watch wasn’t the first smartwatch. And yet, in each case, Apple made a late entry, redefined the product and ultimately dominated the market. Or at least made competition drop envious glances towards the hallowed gardens of Apple Park in Cupertino.

But with artificial intelligence, that formula looks shakier. The iPhone, Apple’s most important product, is suddenly lagging behind its rivals at exactly the moment consumers are beginning to see AI’s value in day-to-day use.

Google’s new Pixel 10 shows what this looks like. The latest AI feature in Pixel 10 is Magic Cue. Magic Cue sifts through emails, calendars and texts to surface information just when you need it. Voice Translate clones your voice and speaks foreign languages in real time. Camera Coach directs photographers like an art director on set. None of these feel like gimmicks — they’re integrated into the experience, solving problems in the background.

Samsung isn’t standing still either. Its Galaxy AI branding is front and centre, with Gemini models powering translation, summarisation and creative tasks across the phone. For users, the message is clear: Android phones aren’t just competing on screens and cameras anymore; they’re being sold as AI companions.

Apple Intelligence isn’t AI. At least not yet

Apple, meanwhile, has delivered -- or rather showed glimpses of --  “Apple Intelligence” and promised a smarter Siri. Whisper it quietly but the iPhone — when it comes to AI features — isn’t very good. What was supposed to be a bold leap feels underwhelming so far.

Apple Intelligence

Siri still struggles with the basics, and Apple’s AI features—summarising notes, drafting text, image playground are incremental rather than transformational. More importantly, they’re not here yet. Users will have to wait months, and even then, many of the features won’t ship globally right away.

Perception matters

The bigger risk is perception. Google and Samsung are using AI to position themselves as the innovators. Even OnePlus for that matter is pushing the envelope. Its AI Plus Mind feature stands out in the host of AI features out there.

Apple looks hesitant, almost defensive, as if it’s waiting to see how the dust settles before moving. That strategy has worked before —but AI may not play by the old rules.

Unlike the smartphone revolution, where hardware design and app ecosystems could buy Apple time, AI is evolving rapidly and is largely driven by software. The companies iterating fastest will win mindshare. Already, Google’s advertising mocks Siri’s delays, encouraging iPhone owners to switch.

Don’t count Apple out

Still, it’s naive to write Apple off. The company has a track record of waiting until the tech matures, then arriving with a polished, consumer-friendly version. It is also uniquely positioned with its massive installed base, privacy branding, and the ability to integrate AI seamlessly into iOS, iMessage, and the wider Apple ecosystem. Plus, it has the partnership with OpenAI, which gives it access to ChatGPT — the most widely used generative AI assistant in the world.

The question is whether consumers will wait. If AI becomes a deciding factor in phone purchases — as real-time translation, smarter assistants and context-aware features suggest it might—Apple risks losing ground it can’t easily reclaim. For now, the iPhone is still the phone most people want. But if AI is the next big leap, Apple can’t afford to be merely late. It has to be right and relevant.

Because this time, the killer feature isn’t design or apps. It’s intelligence. Not human, but artificial. And right now, Apple’s competitors look a lot smarter.