Google's new photo editing tool, "Magic Eraser," has been described as intuitive and useful, but not groundbreaking. Experts also point out that many other apps and phones offer similar capabilities. They say the Pixel 6 and future Pixel phones should have the feature, but it is important to keep it exclusive for the Pixel 6 line. This new feature has been a long-awaited. Magic Eraser was first announced in 2017. It will remove unwanted background images with the help of Tensor, Google's AI-processing chip and in-house-developed chip. Tensor will scan any background images (to be removed), that have been taken with a Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6 Pro, or uploaded to Google's cloud. You can also manually highlight and circle objects to aid Tensor in identifying what must be removed. This feature can also be used to highlight images in the background of a photograph. VPN Deals: A lifetime license is $16 and monthly plans are $1 & More. Both Ara Wagoner (Ara) and Nick Sutrich, both Android Central's editors, have praised the feature in their phones. Sutrich states that while the feature is not perfect, it is a huge step in the right direction. It's also a great example of AI being able to simplify and enable tasks that are otherwise impossible. Mishaal Rahman is a senior technical editor at Esper, and was previously editor-in-chief for XDA Developers. He said that the results of the feature aren't perfect, and they "not represent what Google teased four year ago." He says that they are "more than passable at glance," especially when viewed on small smartphones screens. This is more than enough for most people. The feature is currently only available to Pixel 6 models, which are some of the most powerful Android smartphones. Rahman, however, asked in a tweet when Google would offer Magic Eraser to all Google One subscribers. Google One, a subscription service that Google developed, offers more cloud storage and other premium features. How long will it be before Google One subscribers get Magic Eraser? Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman), October 28, 2021 Magic Eraser is a key differenceiator between the Pixel 6 line and other Android devices.
Rahman acknowledges that it is not his responsibility to know Google's marketing plans. However, he believes that if Google is serious regarding the Pixel hardware, as they claim they are now, they should make this feature available only to the Pixel 6. Rahman explained that this would make the Pixel 6 line-up more distinct than other devices. He says that if Magic Eraser was made available to other devices, such as a Google One subscription then users wouldn't be able factor in the feature before making a phone purchase. For example, let's say someone looked at the Pixel 6 versus the Samsung Galaxy S21. Rahman believes that the Pixel 6 is more valuable than the Samsung Galaxy S21 because it has the Magic Eraser option. This is especially true if another Android device is added to the mix. Most other Android device manufacturers don't offer similar features, so this is even more important. He says that if Google made Magic Eraser accessible to all users who have a Google One plan, this wouldn't be even considered. Jitesh Ubrani is IDC's global device tracker research manager. He stated in an interview that Magic Eraser, out of all the recent changes to the Pixel lineup is the most "demonstrable" and "highly relatable to consumers." He says that everyone has taken a photo they wish could have been improved by erasing some of it. It's an exclusive feature that few smartphones have at the moment and it sets the Pixel apart. Ubrani said that he could see Google keeping this feature exclusive to phones, but it would be difficult to see the feature becoming part of Google One's subscription service. Despite it being an excellent feature. It's not something that will be used regularly, and it also dilutes the value proposition for the Pixel phones. Google will benefit more from a Pixel owner than if the consumer pays a small monthly fee. Jitesh Ubrani, IDC's senior analyst, says that the phone generates revenue and provides data streams for its lifetime. Anshel Sag is a senior analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. However, he points out that if Google wanted to differentiate the Pixel divice by offering exclusive features, it would need to be a package. He says that he doesn't believe a single feature will be enough to show Google's seriousness about its Pixel hardware. It would have to be a set of features. Techsponential president Avi Greengart says the feature is exclusive to the Pixel 6 lineup. This may be partly due to Tensor's dependence. However, this could change in future. "Google has many Pixel first features before they are integrated into the general Android releases later on. He says Magic Eraser will likely remain a Pixel exclusive feature due to Google's Tensor silicon. Tensor doesn't have the same AI capabilities as top-of-the line Qualcomm chipsets, so this may more be a product differentiation move rather than a technical limitation. To copy Magic Eraser, other manufacturers will likely perfect their hardware.
Source: Hayato Huseman / Android Central
Samsung is currently the only major manufacturer to offer a feature similar to Magic Eraser, called "Object Eraser". However, that feature isn’t nearly as good than Google's, partly because of the Tensor Chip. Ubrani believes that Samsung's One UI 4 will allow for enhancements and improvements to Object Eraser. However, he doesn't believe it will be as successful as Google's. Google Photos has given Google its primary advantage: a large number of photos. Google's machine learning algorithms are able to access a vastly larger pool of data than any other smartphone manufacturer. He says that this will be the main ingredient of Magic Eraser’s success." Anshel Sag states that "Nobody has as much image data or high-quality image algorithms as Google to make Magic Eraser possible." Sag concurs and says that he would prefer Samsung to partner with Adobe to create a better version Object Eraser than trying to duplicate Google's ability. This is due to the company's "uniquely trained AI models" and its fast inference performance. "Nobody has as much image data or high-quality image algorithms as Google to make Magic Eraser possible. He also says that it will get smarter with more users using it. This could help Google maintain its leadership in the market, even if other companies implement similar capabilities." he said. Magic Eraser is being used by more users
Source: Alex Dobie / Android Central
