More reasons to love your Pixel phone

When you invest in a smartphone, you expect it to last a while (and not go out of date when the next product comes along). We expect that, too, so we constantly add new experiences to Pixel phones to make sure they keep getting better over time. Here are a few highlights from recent weeks:

1. Have fun and get creative with Augmented Reality Stickers

Pixel 2 has the world’s highest-rated smartphone camera, and it lets you do a lot more in addition to taking great photos and videos. This week, we’re bringing AR Stickers to Pixel, so you can add virtual characters and playful emojis directly into your photos and videos to bring your favorite stories to life.  

You don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to team up with characters from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” like BB-8, a stormtrooper, or a porg. You can play around with Eleven, the Demogorgon, and your other favorite characters from Netflix’s “Stranger Things;” use Foodmoji and 3D Text stickers when you’re feeling hungry; or shoot a celebratory video at your New Year’s party with AR balloons and champagne.

It’s easy! Open up the camera app, switch to AR Stickers mode, choose a sticker pack, and drop them into the scene. You can move, resize and rotate the stickers, and they interact with other characters in the scene. Once you capture a picture or video you can quickly and easily share with friends on social media. AR Stickers are rolling out over the coming days to all Pixel phones running Android 8.1 Oreo. We’ll release more AR Sticker packs in the future, so keep your eyes peeled.

2. Explore the world around you with Google Lens

We recently introduced Google Lens in the Google Assistant on Pixel so you can learn more about the world around you. If you walk past a landmark in a new city or discover a painting in a museum, just open up the Assistant on your Pixel and tap on the Lens button (or simply squeeze the sides of your Pixel 2 phone) to get more information about what you’re looking at.

And with Google Lens in Google Photos, you can now copy important information–like a Wi-Fi password, gift card code, or recipe—from a photo and then paste it somewhere else (such as into a field on a web page, an email, or text message).

3. An even more helpful Assistant

There are new features on your Google Assistant on Pixel too. Now you can broadcast your voice from your Pixel to the Google Home devices around your house. And the Assistant now speaks new languages, including Spanish and Italian.

4. Taking a bite out of the newest version of Oreo

We recently rolled out Android Oreo 8.1, which makes it even faster and easier to get stuff done on your Pixel. SmartSelect recognizes text when you long press, highlights the relevant words, and then recommends a next logical step through a suggested app—for example, it’ll take you to Google Maps if you copy an address. This feature is powered by machine learning, and it can recognize addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and more. Another useful feature in Oreo 8.1 for Pixel users: Wi-Fi speed labels show you how fast nearby networks are.

Your Pixel will keep getting better over time. Stay tuned for new camera experiences and AR sticker packs, new ways to explore the world around you with Google Lens, accessories and a lot more.

_{Best smartphone camera claim is accurate as of the date this post was published, and is subject to change.}