Oppo announced on Tuesday that Google’s in-house artificial intelligence (AI) model Gemini will be powering some of the features in ColorOS 15. The company is also introducing Circle to Search with the major update to its operating system. Both of these features will first come to the Oppo Find X8 series, which was globally launched on Thursday. Notably, the Chinese smartphone brand unveiled the ColorOS 15 update and its new features last month. However, at the time, the Google AI features were not revealed.

Oppo Introduces Gemini, Circle to Search in ColorOS 15

In a press release, Oppo detailed the new features coming to ColorOS 15. The Chinese smartphone brand already offers multiple AI features in its devices, however, those are built in-house and use the company’s native large language models. But with ColorOS 15, users will also be able to use Gemini-powered features.

The company highlighted that Gemini 1.5 Pro and Gemini 1.5 Flash AI models will power some of the features in the new iteration of the operating system. Gemini will be incorporated within Oppo’s Notes and Documents app. While the features were not detailed, the company stated Google’s AI will help users by reworking the structure and polishing the language of the text in these apps.

Additionally, an AI Recording Summary feature will also be powered by Gemini. It can summarise voice recordings and generate meeting notes and overviews. While this is the first time Oppo devices will natively integrate Gemini features, the company could introduce more third-party AI features in the future.

However, the biggest highlight is the introduction of Circle to Search to Oppo devices. Once it goes live, the visual lookup feature can be activated by long pressing the home button or navigation bar. Users will be able to search any on-screen element without needing to switch apps.

Alongside, the ColorOS 15 update will also bring the Gemini app to devices. The app’s inclusion will also ensure that users can set Gemini as their default AI assistant and take advantage of its capabilities. The app will come updated with the Gemini Live feature which allows two-way voice communication with the AI.

Oppo also confirmed that these new AI features with ColorOS 15 will first be introduced to the newly launched Oppo Find X8 series. There is no word on which other Oppo devices will get these AI capabilities or when.

Honor 200 series is getting a new update that is finally introducing the Circle to Search feature in India. The RM3 version is an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Honor 200 5G and Honor 200 Pro 5G smartphones. Alongside the new artificial intelligence (AI) feature, it also adds the October 2024 Google security patch as well as performance enhancements. Notably, the Circle to Search feature was first announced for the series earlier this month, but it was not rolled out in India so far.

Honor 200 Series Gets Circle to Search in India

Google’s Circle to Search was first introduced in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. Later it was also added to the Pixel 8 series. While it was expanded to more Samsung and Pixel devices, the feature was not rolled out to smartphones by other manufacturers. Recently, the Mountain View-based tech giant said that the visual lookup feature will also be introduced to more smartphones across the Android ecosystem.

The new RM3 update for the Honor 200 series also adds performance and security improvements. The Google security patch for October 2024 is being added to protect smartphones from cybersecurity threats. Users can also record system audio during screen recordings. Additionally, three screen recording resolutions of 480p, 720p, and 1080p have been made available that users can choose from.

Finally, the Circle to Search visual lookup tool is also being added. The feature allows users to quickly run a web search of any visual element visible on the screen. The feature can also select and copy text from images as well as translate text in different languages.

The new Honor 200 series RM3 update will be available to all users by October 31, as per the company. To download and install the update, users will have to go to Settings and scroll to System & updates option. There, users will need to tap on software update. A new update should show up when users click on Check for Updates. Once downloaded, users can install it.

Honor 200 series is getting a new update that is finally introducing the Circle to Search feature in India. The RM3 version is an over-the-air (OTA) update for the Honor 200 5G and Honor 200 Pro 5G smartphones. Alongside the new artificial intelligence (AI) feature, it also adds the October 2024 Google security patch as well as performance enhancements. Notably, the Circle to Search feature was first announced for the series earlier this month, but it was not rolled out in India so far.

Honor 200 Series Gets Circle to Search in India

Google’s Circle to Search was first introduced in the Samsung Galaxy S24 series. Later it was also added to the Pixel 8 series. While it was expanded to more Samsung and Pixel devices, the feature was not rolled out to smartphones by other manufacturers. Recently, the Mountain View-based tech giant said that the visual lookup feature will also be introduced to more smartphones across the Android ecosystem.

The new RM3 update for the Honor 200 series also adds performance and security improvements. The Google security patch for October 2024 is being added to protect smartphones from cybersecurity threats. Users can also record system audio during screen recordings. Additionally, three screen recording resolutions of 480p, 720p, and 1080p have been made available that users can choose from.

Finally, the Circle to Search visual lookup tool is also being added. The feature allows users to quickly run a web search of any visual element visible on the screen. The feature can also select and copy text from images as well as translate text in different languages.

The new Honor 200 series RM3 update will be available to all users by October 31, as per the company. To download and install the update, users will have to go to Settings and scroll to System & updates option. There, users will need to tap on software update. A new update should show up when users click on Check for Updates. Once downloaded, users can install it.

Google Chrome may be getting a new search feature that works similarly to ‘Circle to Search’ – the visual lookup tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI) which Google introduced in January, according to a report. The feature is said to be integrated into Google Lens and can be accessed via a beta version of Google Chrome on desktops and Chromebooks. Notably, Circle to Search was also recently introduced on iOS devices via a shortcut.

Google Lens’ Drag to Search

According to a report by 9to5Google, Google has introduced a new functionality, dubbed ‘drag to search’ on Chrome 127 and 128 beta versions for desktops and Chromebooks. It appears in the form of a Google Lens icon alongside the bookmarks option in the address bar.

Visual Lookup in Google Lens on Chrome for Desktop

To activate this feature, users can simply click on the icon and a new window appears, stating that users can “search anything on this page with Google Lens”. Subsequently, a custom selection window pops up which can be dragged to search for anything on the web page. The feature’s user interface (UI) is similar to the one on the Android platform, with a shimmering appearance on the borders of the selection window.

According to Google, when a user accesses Google Lens’ new functionality, a screenshot of that page is sent to the company. Gadgets 360 staff members were able to verify the new drag-to-search functionality in Google Chrome 128 beta on Windows. Since it is only available in a beta version of the web browser, the feature is experimental.

This feature was first reportedly leaked by X (formerly Twitter) user @Leopeva64 via a series of posts in May. At the time, the user speculated to be an AI-powered lookup feature similar to Circle to Search and could improve upon the existing functionality of Google Lens.

Other New Features in Chrome

In recent months, Google has been said to be developing several new features for its web browser. A report suggested that Google Chrome on Android could soon read aloud web pages in the background, via a feature dubbed ‘Listen to this Page’. The web browser also added new actions and more features on both Android and iOS platforms in a bid to provide an improved search experience to users.