Google LLC said Wednesday its Pixel 3 smartphone series with artificial intelligence-powered cameras will hit shelves in Japan for the first time in November, pitting them against Apple Inc.'s iPhones that make up half of the country's market share.

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, with screen sizes of 5.5 inches and 6.3 inches, respectively, feature high-tech cameras that automatically capture successive photos to recommend the best shot, such as those in which individuals are smiling with their eyes open and facing the camera.

(The Pixel 3, right, and Pixel 3 XL)

The smartphones also allow users to take natural photos in dark surroundings without having to use a flash. Its wide-angled camera allows selfies with 184 percent more scene content than the iPhone XS, according to Google.

Users can also add animated stickers to photos that mimic the expressions of the subject such as smiling or frowning.

"It's designed from inside out to be the smartest, most helpful device," said Nanda Ramachandran, senior director at Google Pixel Business, at a press event in Tokyo. "They come at the intersection of AI, hardware and software working together."

Google began receiving orders for the Pixel 3 series through its website on Wednesday, while Japanese mobile phone carriers SoftBank Corp. and NTT Docomo Inc. will start taking reservations on Oct. 19 for the new smartphone series to be launched on Nov. 1.

The Pixel 3 is priced from 95,000 yen ($840) and the Pixel 3 XL from 119,000 yen. They will be sold in 11 other countries including the United States, Australia and Singapore, as well as Taiwan.