A future Pixel feature will notify users about apps tracking their activity.

The Motorola DROID, purchased in 2009, became the first true iPhone competitor, and also surprisingly aided Android in becoming the world's most popular mobile operating system. This was unexpected, as many believed the Palm Pre and its webOS would be the primary challenger to the iPhone and iOS.

The HTC One (M8) was my favorite phone, due to its aluminum unibody and Boom Sound speakers. Other favorites include the original iPhone, the HTC DROID DNA, and the Pixel 2 XL. The Pixel 2 XL was near the top because of Google's computational photography, early Android updates, and stock Android.

I initially had high hopes for the Pixel 6 Pro, but its flaws, like the modem, fingerprint scanner, and lack of facial recognition, were disappointing. However, Google extended software support for the Pixel 6 series by two years beyond the original end-of-life date.

With Android 16, the redesign of Google's apps using the Material 3 design has revitalized the Pixel 6 Pro. Software updates improved the fingerprint scanner, and Gemini replacing Google Assistant makes the phone more useful than my iPhone 15 Pro Max. Google is also working to make Pixel's AI features indispensable.

One such feature is Live Threat Detection. It uses on-device AI to detect harmful apps, alerting the user in real-time to allow them to delete the app. Android Authority found a page listing apps flagged by the feature, along with code strings for warnings about malicious apps tracking device location.

Pixel users may soon receive alerts warning them if they are being tracked by a malicious app, allowing them time to uninstall it.

I think Google's AI implementation is better than Samsung's and Apple's. With features like Magic Cue, and Camera Coach, Google is using AI to simplify tasks. Google has also enhanced the Photo app, allowing users to use conversational English to describe edits and turn photos into eight-second videos.

Google's AI lead will only matter if it increases Pixel sales.

"Iconic Phones: Revolution at Your Fingertips," a coffee table book about the 21st century's tech revolution, will be released in a few months.

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