#voice-assistants

#voice-assistants

The release of the Google Pixel 10 phones with deeply integrated AI features that offer impressive new capabilities has revealed the biggest gaps the iPhone 17 needs to fill. Many of the smartest AI services in the world are already on the iPhone as apps, and so there's the possibility that Apple could partner with them for deeper integrations. The new AI camera features in the Pixel 10 could be the biggest differentiator between it and the iPhone 17.

ZDNET's key takeaways Fast-food chains are experimenting with AI in drive-thrus. Previous gen AI order-takers failed. AI voice tech is playing a larger role in customer service. Fast-food restaurants like Taco Bell and McDonald's tried to integrate AI into their daily operations, but rethought their decisions when customers complained. According to the , customers either griped about glitches and delays or the odd nature of the technology -- or, in some cases, chose to troll the AI employee by ordering 18,000 cups of water.

While the iPhone has virtually all of the smartest AI apps available from the latest AI trailblazers, it lacks the kind of deep integration of AI features that are only available at the intersection of the operating system and the latest hardware. That's what we've seen with the rollout of Google's Pixel 10 lineup. Here are seven features from AI leaders that would make a huge impact if they were seamlessly embedded at the system level in the iPhone 17.

Open the Claude app on your mobile device. If voice mode has arrived on your end, you'll see a new sound-wave symbol next to the microphone icon. The first time you tap that symbol, you can choose from different voices and options to customize your chat partner.