Yesterday, Google remained the center of attention after unveiling the much-anticipated Pixel 10 series at the Made by Google 2025 event. While the keynote was a star-studded affair, the tech giant went in a different direction by having Jimmy Fallon host the event and keep the tone light, stepping away from its usual strategy. The launch was notable for the big hardware and software announcements and the playful jab at its long-time rival, Apple. The host also asserted the role of the tech giant in shaping the smartphone landscape.
Google Pixel 10 launch event: Google strikes a bold note and playfully challenges Apple
While Google's event has been hardware and software-centric and generally follows a serious tone, it mixed things up this time around by focusing on the innovations while presenting confident brand messaging. Rick Osterloh, Google's Senior Vice President, opened the event by addressing the delay in Apple Intelligence and presenting it as "broken promises" and how Google's Gemini AI, on the other hand, is the "real deal" and delivers on the AI assistant capabilities it promises. Osterloh also took the chance to remind viewers that Google is a pioneer when it comes to safety features, such as Pixel's Car Crash Detection, which was introduced back in 2019, and that it is ahead of Apple in this regard.
There has been a lot of hype about this, and frankly, a lot of broken promises too. But Gemini is the real deal. We’ve got the best models, we’ve got the best AI assistant, and it means this can just unlock so much helpfulness on your phone.
The tone took a lighter and humorous turn when Google's SVP of Marketing, Adrienne Lofton, took the stage. Lofton was quick to point out Android's openness when it comes to its ecosystem in comparison to Apple's closed approach and even went on to call Android the most open platform built for true freedom of choice. She also humorously mentioned that the Pixel 10 would work seamlessly with Apple's MagSafe accessories, to which Fallon jokingly responded about using "the A-word" and referencing it indirectly.
Lofton went on to conclude by addressing the green bubble debate in messaging, which refers to the iMessage system on the iPhone. Since there has been a long-standing stigma that green bubbles are not as desirable in social contexts as people prefer iPhone-to-iPhone messaging rather than messages to Android devices, Lofton countered this debate by suggesting that the conversation is outdated, given that it is the era of RCS messaging.
The event included playful rivalry throughout and was a clear demonstration of Google's confidence in not just the Pixel 10 lineup but also as a company that leads in AI, safety, and respecting user choice.
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