Gemini Can Now Order Food and Call a Cab for You: First Impressions

For the first time, Gemini genuinely takes the phone into its own hands, and it is worth seeing even if it is far from perfect. Google has launched a beta task automation feature in Gemini on two flagship devices: the Pixel 10 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

The idea is simple: you tell the assistant "order me a pizza" or "get me a car," and Gemini opens the right app, fills in the form and places the order itself. No taps, no confirmation screens: the AI acts in your place.

For now, the list of supported services is tiny: a few food delivery apps and ride-hailing services. The feature is in beta testing, runs slower than you would like, and occasionally stumbles over small things.

A journalist from The Verge who tested both devices admits candidly that it does not solve a single real problem you run into when using a smartphone day to day. But that is exactly why the reaction "this is impressive" does not feel exaggerated.

Every major tech company has shown something similar on stage: agents that operate interfaces on their own, book tables and make purchases. The difference is that Gemini does it right now, on a real device, with real apps. Not a demo, not a lab prototype.

Google is following a path Apple tried to pave with an expanded Siri and then with Apple Intelligence, with mixed success. The Android ecosystem gives Gemini an edge: its more open architecture lets the AI embed more deeply into third-party apps. Samsung and Google appear to be coordinating their efforts, since both flagships received the feature at the same time.

We are still a long way from a future where an AI assistant fully takes over the routine of using a smartphone. Speed, reliability and app coverage all remain to be polished. But the direction is clear: the next stage of smartphone competition will play out not in hardware or cameras, but in how smartly the AI can act on your behalf.