Gemini Space is coming to Pixel phones, and it could be Google’s take on Samsung’s Now Bar

Google is locked in a race with rival OpenAI to get people to use its Gemini AI over ChatGPT, and one of its key advantages in the race is its hardware ecosystem. The company has already integrated its Gemini AI into multiple features on its Pixel devices and plans to introduce even more with the upcoming Pixel 10 series. One such upcoming feature is called “Gemini Space,” which we expect will debut on the Pixel 10 before trickling down to previous devices.

Our first clue about “Gemini Space” appeared in last month’s Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release, which quietly added a new system configuration file named “Ambient Data.” The file hints that “Ambient Data” is the internal codename for “Gemini Space.”

This “Ambient Data” configuration file is present in the firmware for both the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 8 Pro, suggesting the feature will be supported on at least some current-generation devices. Unfortunately, the file itself and the rest of the firmware offer no further details about what the feature does.

We did find some related references to an “Ambience Hub,” though details on how it works are similarly scarce. However, the naming offers a clue. Based on existing features like “ambient display” and “ambient AOD,” it’s likely that “Ambient Data” refers to contextual information shown on the ambient display. The “Ambience Hub” feature, then, might be a new interface for presenting that data.

So what will this “Ambient Data” consist of? We found clues in the Android System Intelligence app, which is responsible for the Pixel’s At a Glance experience. Our findings suggest Gemini Space will show a finance recap and sports scores — two features we’ve been tracking for a while. We even managed to recently surface the finance recap toggle in the Pixel’s At a Glance settings.

This evidence suggests Google could be planning to rebrand At a Glance as “Gemini Space” and relaunch it with more capabilities. Specifically, “Gemini Space” could be Google’s version of the “Now Bar” and “Now Brief” features on Samsung Galaxy phones. On Galaxy devices, the Now Bar is a small chip on the lock screen with live app updates, complemented by the Now Brief, a full-screen summary of your day with contextual information.

While one could argue that At a Glance is already a version of the Now Bar, Pixel phones lack a comparable experience to Now Brief that is accessible from the lock screen. The “Gemini Space” and “Ambience Hub” features could finally provide that. Notably, we spotted Google testing a change last year that repositions the At a Glance widget to the bottom of the lock screen, which would make it look strikingly similar to Samsung’s Now Bar (and Live Activities on iOS).

With such limited information, our theory could be off base, and “Gemini Space” might have no parallels to Samsung’s features. If that’s the case, we truly don’t know what Google is building. I’m personally hoping for a feature similar to Nothing’s Essential Space, but beyond the name, there’s no evidence for this. It’s also possible this feature is tied to the long-rumored Pixel Sense — now expected to be called Magic Cue — but we’re not sure how. However, Magic Cue is expected to be a Pixel 10 exclusive, whereas our findings suggest “Gemini Space” will not be as limited.

Whatever the case, it’s clear Google plans to integrate Gemini more tightly into its Pixel lineup. While the exact role of “Gemini Space” remains to be seen, we’re excited to find out. Google is rumored to launch the Pixel 10 series at a Made by Google event in August, so we hopefully won’t have to wait long to see what form this feature ultimately takes.