TL;DR
An Android Police editor says 2025 was a mixed year for Google: software updates like Material 3 Expressive and Pixel apps impressed, while hardware and AI strategy raised concerns. A quiet admission that some AI work moved to the cloud exposed limits in Google’s Tensor silicon and dented trust in Pixel phones as AI-first devices.
What happened
The author, who does not identify as a Google Pixel fan, calls 2025 a year of both meaningful improvements and worrying compromises for Google. On the positive side, Material 3 Expressive delivered noticeable UI polish — tactile animations, deeper customization, and a more responsive feel — and Pixel-first apps such as Pixel Journal and Pixel Screenshots became part of his daily routine. The Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro impressed on hardware too, with the Pixel 10 cited as the best Android phone available and the 10 Pro praised for its Super Actua display and more vivid camera output. But the year also revealed limits: in November 2025 Google acknowledged moving some Magic Cue processing to the cloud because the Tensor chip couldn’t handle Gemini’s demands quickly enough. That shift, along with underwhelming practical updates and a lack of bold hardware innovation, left the author pleased but wary about Pixel phones’ AI leadership moving forward.
Why it matters
- Material 3 Expressive shows Android's UI evolution and affects the daily user experience for many devices.
- Pixel-specific apps and design choices can drive adoption and shape expectations for AI features on Android phones.
- Admitting Tensor can’t always handle on-device AI shifts the balance between on-device privacy/latency and cloud dependency.
- Erosion of trust in Pixel’s AI positioning could influence buyer decisions and how Google prioritizes future hardware and software investments.
Key facts
- The author will not call himself a Google Pixel fan and says his purchases reflect quality, not brand loyalty.
- He considers the Google Pixel 10 the best Android phone to buy this year and for the foreseeable future.
- The Google Pixel 10 Pro impressed the author with its Super Actua display and a camera that produced more vivid photos than recent Pixels.
- Material 3 Expressive was the author’s standout Android feature of 2025, delivering tactile animations and customization.
- Pixel Journal became an app the author used regularly in 2025; Pixel Screenshots was credited with being useful during the holidays and originally launched on the Pixel 9 in 2024.
- In November 2025 Google quietly moved some Magic Cue processing to the cloud, acknowledging on-device Tensor hardware could not handle Gemini requests fast enough.
- The author says this cloud shift undermines Google’s stated direction of on-device AI for Pixel phones and reduces his trust in future Pixel AI features.
- Lock screen widgets returned but, in the author’s view, were worse than prior implementations and less practical than expected.
- Google Wallet added location-based notifications for tickets, a feature the author praised as genuinely useful.
What to watch next
- Whether Google adjusts its AI strategy to bring more processing back on device or continues cloud offloading (not confirmed in the source).
- If Google expands practical, user-facing features across Pixel and core apps after Material 3 Expressive (not confirmed in the source).
- How Google responds to criticisms of Tensor’s limits in future hardware iterations and marketing (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Material 3 Expressive: A design update for Android that emphasizes customization, motion, and tactile UI elements to improve visual coherence and responsiveness.
- Tensor: Google’s custom system-on-chip used in Pixel phones, designed to accelerate machine learning and AI tasks on the device.
- Magic Cue: A Google feature that relies on AI-assisted processing; in this context some workloads were shifted from device to cloud processing.
- Gemini: A Google AI model referenced as driving advanced assistant and generative capabilities; it can require significant compute to run.
Reader FAQ
Is the author a Pixel fan?
No — he explicitly says he will never call himself a Google Pixel fan and buys Pixels for their quality rather than brand loyalty.
Does the author recommend the Pixel 10?
Yes — he describes the Pixel 10 as the best Android phone you can buy this year and for the immediate future.
Will the author keep using the Pixel 10 Pro long-term?
Not necessarily — he says he is ready to ditch the Pixel 10 Pro as soon as a better alternative appears.
Did Google move any AI tasks off the Pixel device?
Yes — in November 2025 Google quietly shifted some Magic Cue workload to the cloud because Tensor couldn’t handle Gemini requests fast enough.
Will Google fix Tensor’s performance limits?
Not confirmed in the source.
Google surprised and disappointed me in equal measure this year By Jon Gilbert Published 34 minutes ago Jon has been an author at Android Police since 2021. He primarily writes…
Sources
- Google surprised and disappointed me in equal measure this year
- Harvard Graduation Disappointment: Missing Magna Cum …
- Google's AI overview astoundingly fails
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