When Live Activities launched with iOS 16, Apple gave iPhone users a dynamic way to track stuff like sports scores and food deliveries right on the lock screen. Almost two years later, Samsung followed with the "Now Bar," a similar pill-shaped widget on its One UI 7.0 software. Both features are quite useful, solving the same problem of saving you a trip into an app for a quick update.
As for user adoption, there are no official numbers, but in 2023, Business of Apps estimated that 41% of iPhone users had already tried Live Activities, with 62% of them rating their experience as "Good" or "Exceptional." Based on that data, it is a popular feature, even with its technical hurdles for developers, like the tight 4KB limit for update data. Now, it looks like Google is finally getting its own version ready for Pixel phones.
According to a code teardown by Android Authority, evidence is mounting for a new feature, the so-called Gemini Space, which will likely debut with the Pixel 10 later this year before making its way to older devices. The first clues appeared in a system file from a recent Android beta, named "Ambient Data."
This file was found in the firmware for both the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 8 Pro, which suggests current phone owners might not be left out in the cold. What this "Ambient Data" actually does is anyone's guess, but the name itself points toward "contextual information" living on your always-on display.
Further digging into the Android System Intelligence app, which powers the Pixel's existing "At a Glance" widget, unearthed more direct connections. Code strings explicitly link "Gemini Space" to new At a Glance capabilities. Android Authority got the finance recap and sports scores, features that have been floating around in rumors for a bit.
This has led to a strong theory that Gemini Space could be a rebrand of At a Glance, with more capabilities. Related references also point to an "Ambience Hub," which could function as a more expansive, full-screen summary, much like Samsung's Now Brief complements its Now Bar.
As Android Authority notes, you could argue that At a Glance already does this, but its current implementation feels limited compared to the competition. A repositioning of the widget to the bottom of the lock screen was even tested last year, which would make it look a lot like Apple's and Samsung's offerings.
If this reporting is on the money, Gemini Space could finally give Pixel users the rich, glanceable updates that other phone users have had for a while.
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