While showing off new Pixel phones and artificial intelligence capabilities at today’s conference, Google also quietly launched some attacks on Apple. Some are subtle, while others are far from it.
While it’s not uncommon for companies like Google to compare themselves to competitors at large events like this, Google seemed to mention Apple throughout its presentation. Perhaps this is because Google has become particularly competitive in the artificial intelligence industry, while Apple is just starting to get involved in this field.
Here are all the comparing moments we captured during the event.
Geminis are going “far beyond English speakers”
When introducing Gemini, Sameer Samat, president of Google’s Android ecosystem, boasted that Gemini is available in 45 languages and covers more than 200 countries and regions, emphasizing its expansion into older and non-flagship Android devices.
On top of that, Samat mentioned that “Gemini is now available around the world, well beyond English speakers and the single market.” This last clarification seems to be a direct attack on Apple Intelligence, which is not yet widely available. launch, and will only be available to English speakers in the United States when it launches this fall.
Google will not transfer your data to third parties
Google also praised Gemini’s ability to handle tasks such as writing a short bio using a resume in Drive without having to transfer it to a third party. “Gemini can handle complex personal queries like this in Google’s own secure cloud without sending any of your personal data to a third-party AI provider that you may not know or trust,” Samat said.
This appears to be a clear attack on Apple, which partnered with OpenAI to put ChatGPT into Siri. When Siri can’t answer a question, it gets your permission to ask ChatGPT. (Of course, Google’s system still requires you to trust Google, so it doesn’t entirely escape the same criticism.)
Google wants to make sure you know its demo is live
While Apple is known for its well-planned live events, Google’s events tend to be more relaxed. You could see this when Google’s Dave Citron took the stage to demonstrate some of Gemini’s AI capabilities, boldly declaring: “By the way, all the demos we’re doing today are live.” Google took this head-on. It’s a risk, but things don’t go exactly as planned.
After taking a photo of a Sabrina Carpenter concert poster, Citron asked Gemini if he could check his calendar to see if he would be available when she came to San Francisco this year. Gemini didn’t respond on the first two attempts, but eventually responded when Citron switched phones.
Pixel 9 Pro and 9 Pro XL “no compromises”
The only difference between the Pixel 9 Pro XL and the new, smaller Pixel Pro option is size. “You can choose between Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro XL without compromise,” said Brian Rakowski, vice president of product management at Google. “They feature the same incredible display, sleek design, premium craftsmanship, processing power and the same Pro Pixel camera.”
Meanwhile, there are some subtle 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 version also has up to 29 hours of movie playback time instead of 23 hours.
Google Pixel 9 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max
When showing off the Pixel 9 Pro’s camera, Google compared it directly to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Google’s Kenny Sulaimon says the company has “rebuilt” the Pixel 9’s panorama mode and now supports Night Sight to improve the look of low-light images.
To illustrate these changes, Sulaimon invites viewers to view a nighttime panorama of the Teton Mountains. He then immediately compared it to a darker-looking photo from “another smartphone company,” namely Apple.
