Like every year, we witnessed several mind-blowing things at Google I/O 2018. The Google Assistant successfully made a phone call by itself, Google Maps got a new foxy buddy, and we got a sneak peek at Android P. Google Lens got integrated directly with the camera and was to be functional at all times. The features were split into two subcategories, Smart Text Selection and Style Match.
Style Match with Lens shows you objects similar to the one you’ve pointed your camera at. Let’s say a piece of clothing piques your interest and you want to know more about it. Google Lens will get you the info on that specific item, and even show you things in a similar style that fit the look you like.
Related Google Lens With Redesigned UI and New Features Begins Rolling Out
Smart text selection allows for identification of text in an image, wherever possible. It also lets you even copy and paste text from images to your phone. Lens also helps you make sense of a page of words by showing you relevant information and photos. Say you’re at a restaurant and see the name of a dish you don’t recognise—Lens will show you a picture to give you a better idea. A real-time translation feature (like the one we’ve seen in the Huawei Mate 10) is also in the works.
We first got to see the features in action a few days ago, when it began to roll out to a handful of users. It was only a matter of time before everyone would get it, and today’s the day. Google said it “conducted a controlled rollout for these Lens updates,” starting with a smaller percentage and expanding to 100% of users over several days. Now, all compatible devices should have them. Lens will be built into the native camera apps of phones from brands like Pixel, LG, Motorola, Xiaomi, Sony Mobile, Nokia, Transsion, TCL, OnePlus, BQ and ASUS. If your device isn’t on the list, don’t worry, you’ll soon be able to download it via a standalone app in the Play Store soon.
