I miss the great outdated days when telephone launches have been telephone launches and never AI occasions that I’ve to imagine have been created utilizing AI that promptly ignored directions and determined to make all of it about itself. Google barely appeared to say the newest telephones and {hardware} and glossed over the tech throughout its Made by Google occasion on August 13 in its rush to attempt to persuade us that its AI is extra attention-grabbing.
Not about telephones
If you’re searching for proof the occasion wasn’t actually about its Pixel telephones, then look no additional than Google utilizing Samsung and Motorola telephones on stage to reveal its AI options at an occasion it had already confirmed would function new Pixel 9 series devices. It additionally led with half-hour of Gemini AI discuss and demonstrations earlier than it acquired to the telephones. Even then, we noticed a Pixel 9 used (for an AI demo, in fact) earlier than it was even spoken about.
One hour into the occasion, I’d seen solely a handful of renders displaying the Pixel 9 telephones, because the {hardware} was virtually utterly ignored. The new telephones look like an exquisite evolution of what’s already a superb design, and whereas Google had cameras capturing the “action” everywhere in the stage, we by no means acquired any beautiful close-up magnificence photographs of the telephones.
Why? Because everybody was determined to point out off how the AI would fiddle with my photographs, inform me the climate, manage screenshots, and say “super” rather a lot. The downside is that none of Google’s AI demonstrations have been that compelling. It was all the identical variations on a theme we noticed throughout Google I/O this 12 months. In truth, there have been instances once I felt I used to be reliving Google I/O, which wasn’t something I relished.
It solely acquired worse
The thrilling Pixel Watch 3’s introduction was throughout in lower than 10 minutes, regardless of it having one of many solely really attention-grabbing options of the occasion — Loss of Pulse Detection. This is a well being function now we have by no means seen earlier than, and in contrast to a lot of the AI demos, it was one thing that everybody may instantly perceive why it mattered and the way it may very well make a distinction to somebody’s life.
But Google couldn’t maintain again for lengthy as a result of as quickly because the Pixel Buds Pro 2 got here out, it leaped on the likelihood to do a stay demonstration of somebody speaking to Gemini Live. It was as awkward and cringe-inducing as all the opposite lets-talk-to-AI demonstrations in the course of the occasion, so we nonetheless didn’t be taught something new, and it definitely didn’t do something to promote the product.
“The Gemini era is real,” stated Google’s vice chairman of platforms and units, Rick Osterloh, when closing the occasion earlier than happening to speak much more about AI. At least it was about Project Astra, which was one of many solely attention-grabbing issues that got here out of Google I/O. Yet, right here, it didn’t seem very attention-grabbing in any respect due to the huge AI overload everybody had sat by means of. On and on the closing demonstrations went, with evermore outlandish questions I don’t consider anybody will ever ask AI with any seriousness. Like begin a enterprise.
It’s throughout
When the occasion was lastly executed, Osterloh stated attendees may go and take a look at the AI options straightaway. He didn’t say go and take a look at the Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, or the Pixel Watch. Google’s thoughts is solely on Gemini and AI, to the purpose the place it has forgotten that all of us want to purchase the telephones, watches, and earbuds to make use of them. I believe some new units have been launched in the course of the occasion that will match the invoice, however I will need to have missed the main points once I went to the toilet.
I need to know concerning the {hardware} and the underlying tech that makes the AI work. I need to be beguiled by the brand new design and perceive each curve of the up to date form. I need to know concerning the check course of that enabled the telephones to be twice as sturdy, and I need to see the proof of it, too. Drop a telephone out of a airplane or one thing. Show me the watch on a wrist with totally different straps, how totally different the brand new measurement appears to be like, and simply how a lot smaller the bezels are. I need to fall in love with the merchandise throughout a product launch occasion, however I got here away from this one barely realizing them in any respect.
Oh, and when you stayed round for the After Party livestream, Hot Ones host Sean Evans sat down with Osterloh and fed him spicy wings and prewritten questions. The first one? “What makes you most excited about the current state of AI?” It could be humorous if it wasn’t so completely soul-destroying.
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