Launch of the Groundbreaking AI-Enhanced Meteorology Application on Google Pixel 9 Devices

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Most weather apps offer a crowded screen full of percentages, numbers, and forecasting icons. Wouldn’t it be nice to get easy-to-read summaries of the day’s forecast instead? Google’s newest AI-powered Pixel-specific app is about to change the weather app game with at-a-glance weather forecasting summaries.

Also: Everything announced at Made By Google 2024: Pixel 9 Pro, Fold, Gemini, Watch 3, and more

Google/ZDNET

If you’re purchasing one of Google’s new Pixel 9 phones, you’ll be getting a new weather app on your device as well. Google just unveiled Pixel Weather, an AI-powered app that delivers weather forecasts alongside customized recommendations, supplemented by Gemini Nano. This is the first default weather app for Pixel phones.

Google unveiled the app at its annual Made By Google event , where it also announced a brand-new lineup of Pixel phones, the Pixel Buds Pro 2, the Pixel Watch 3, plus new features and apps coming to Google devices.

According to Google, the inclusion of AI is designed to supplement traditional weather reporting for increased forecasting accuracy – for example, when exactly thunderstorms will begin and end. Plus, the app will notify users when inclement weather is expected to begin.

Newsletters

ZDNET Tech Today

ZDNET’s Tech Today newsletter is a daily briefing of the newest, most talked about stories, five days a week.

See all

The idea behind the app is to provide a more descriptive daily forecast – rather than just numbers and percentages – for a more digestible user experience. And, with user experience in mind, Google is putting customization at the forefront of Pixel Weather. The new app enables users to move around the weather tiles they care about most, whether that’s the daily UV index or air quality.

Also: Gemini will replace Google Assistant as Android’s default

The app is available only on the new Pixel 9 lineup, but The Verge reports that it might be heading to older Pixel devices in the future.