(Image credit: Tom's Guide / John Velasco)
WWDC 2026 is less than two weeks away and we’ll likely get our first look at iOS 27. There’s clearly a sense of urgency with this reveal, as Apple intends to make AI a serious focus at its developers conference — especially since new Apple Intelligence features were practically non-existent with the iOS 26 rollout last fall.If there’s one company that has proven to me the value of AI, it’s none other than Google with its lineup of Pixel phones. Even now, I still say that its latest Pixel models are some of the best phones powered by AI. In fact, I’ve spent a great deal of time testing them out to uncover whether they’re practical or merely gimmicky.With iOS 27 on the horizon, Apple can’t afford to come up short. Here are the biggest Google Pixel AI features I hope Apple adapts in some capacity with iOS 27 — and eventually, help power the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max later this fall.Call Screen
(Image credit: Tom's Guide / John Velasco)I’ve already compared in detail the superior performance of Google’s Call Screen feature, which uses AI to take phone calls on my behalf when I’m too busy or don’t want to be bothered. It’s more than just a service that transcribes messages in real time — it functions like a real human assistant.When iOS 26 launched, Apple introduced its own version of call screening that attempts to filter calls before they’re relayed to me, but it lacks the intelligence to generate proactive responses for me to choose from. I’m talking about the ability to actually comprehend the message and suggest contextual replies. The example I constantly refer back to is how Apple's current feature merely prompts the caller to leave a more detailed message.With the Pixel’s Call Screen feature, though, the AI goes way beyond that to recommend smart, situational actions — like asking a delivery driver to leave a package, telling a friend I’m running late, or even coordinating a rescheduled doctor’s appointment.Rumors hint at a new, smarter version of Siri, so I hope this always-on AI agent can act as the reliable gatekeeper I can trust to handle phone calls on my behalf.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Pro Res ZoomThere's a good reason phone makers are introducing fewer hardware upgrades with each new generation. Instead, they’re leaning on AI to bridge the performance gap — and nothing proves that to me more than the Pixel 10 Pro’s Pro Res Zoom feature.In my 200-photo face-off between the Pixel 10 Pro XL and iPhone 17 Pro Max, I showed the immediate impact Pro Res Zoom has on shots captured beyond 30x. The AI analyzes the entire frame, draws out clarity with the help of generative AI, and ultimately injects crisp detail into what would normally be a blurry mess.The difference is staggering. If Apple intends to keep pace with the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, it desperately needs to adapt this feature in iOS 27 to level the playing field. Beyond that, I’d love to see Apple lean on generative AI for other image enhancements — like having the native ability to add detail and clarity to photos that are cropped down long after they're taken.Gemini’s task automation
