Google is leaning heavily into AI with its new Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro, and while some of those AI features might not seem especially exciting, there’s one that stands out that I wish the iPhone would add, too. One of the ways that Google is taking advantage of AI on the Pixel 8 is with generative AI wallpapers. As someone who loves to change their wallpaper often, this is the perfect answer to constantly finding new backgrounds online.
The feature is easy to use. All you need to do is head into your settings, select the wallpaper settings, and then choose the AI wallpaper function. From there, it’s as easy as putting in a prompt like you would in ChatGPT. You can even have the phone come up with a random prompt if you’re not overflowing with ideas at the moment.
From there, the phone creates the wallpaper directly on the device, allowing you to select it or create another one if you want. It’s a really nifty feature, and I wish that I could take advantage of generative AI wallpapers on my iPhone. Sadly, Apple hasn’t dug too deeply into the AI pit just yet, something I’m partially happy about.
But, when I see features like the AI wallpaper option on the Pixel 8, it does make me a little sad that Apple hasn’t offered up any AI-powered features just yet. Of course, there’s nothing stopping me from using ChatGPT, Midjourney, or any other generative AI that has image functions to create my own new mobile wallpapers. But it’s the fact that it is all right there on the device, and easy to select that makes it so appealing on the Pixel 8.
Google’s latest phones have a lot going for them, including an upcoming update that will enable lossless USB audio on the latest devices, and in other Android 14 devices, too. There are also a lot of AI features at work behind the scenes, making the camera and other functions of the smartphone more reliable and useful.
It does make me excited for when Apple starts leaning into AI, though. Apple might be slower to pick up on these new things, but usually, when it does, it tends to pick up on them well. Hopefully, that means we can look forward to generative AI wallpapers on iPhones in the future. If not, maybe at least Google will start allowing us to share them, and our friends with Android phones can share their creations.
