Between unveiling new Pixel phones and ai features at its event today, Google has included a few digs at Apple. Some were subtle, some were nothing more.
While it's not uncommon for companies like Google to make comparisons to their competitors during big events like this, Google seemed to sprinkle references to Apple throughout its showcase. Perhaps that's because Google has become especially competitive in the artificial intelligence industry, which Apple has only just begun to make inroads into.
Here are all the comparison moments we captured during the event.
Introducing Gemini, Sameer Samat, president of Android ecosystem at Google, boasted that Gemini is available in 45 languages and more than 200 countries and territories, highlighting its expansion to older, non-flagship Android devices.
To top it off, Samat mentioned that “Gemini is available worldwide right now, well beyond English speakers and a single market.” That final clarification seems to be a direct attack on Apple Intelligence, which has not yet been widely rolled out and will only be available to English speakers in the U.S. once it launches this fall.
Google also highlighted Gemini’s ability to process tasks, such as using your resume in Drive to write a short bio, without having to delegate the task to a third party. “Gemini can handle these types of complex personal queries within Google’s secure cloud without having to send any of your personal data to a third-party ai provider who may not know you or trust you,” Samat said.
That seemed like a clear jab at Apple, which partnered with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT into Siri. When Siri isn’t able to answer a question, it will get your permission to ask ChatGPT instead. (Of course, Google’s system still requires you to trust Google, so it doesn’t entirely escape the same criticism.)
While Apple is known for carefully curating its live events, Google’s events tend to be a bit more laid-back. That could be seen when Google’s Dave Citron took the stage to demo some of Gemini’s ai features, boldly announcing, “By the way, all of the demos we’re doing today are live.” Google took that risk head-on, and things didn’t exactly go as planned.
After snapping a photo of a Sabrina Carpenter concert poster, Citron asked Gemini if he could check her calendar to see if she was free when she came to San Francisco this year. Gemini didn't respond on the first two attempts, but eventually picked up when Citron changed phones.
The only difference between the Pixel 9 Pro XL and the new, smaller Pixel Pro option is the size. “You can choose between the Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL without compromise,” said Brian Rakowski, Google’s vice president of product management. “They have the same amazing display, the same elegant design, the same build quality, the same processing power, and the same Pro Pixel camera.”
Meanwhile, there are a few minor differences between the iPhone 15 Pro and the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers up to 5x optical zoom, while the regular 15 Pro is limited to 3x. The larger variant also comes with up to 29 hours of video playback instead of 23 hours.
When showing off the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera, Google directly compared it to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Google’s Kenny Sulaimon said the company “rebuilt” the Pixel 9’s panorama mode, which now supports Night Sight to make low-light images look better.
To demonstrate these changes, Sulaimon invited the audience to look at a panorama of the Tetons at night. He then immediately compared it to a more somber photo from “another smartphone company,” namely Apple.
