Google just held the worst product launch event
Marco van Hurne
I build Agentic AI companies | Data Science Strategist @ Beyond the Cloud | Data Strategy Certified | AI Compliance Officer Certified
You won't believe the trainwreck that was Google's product launch event yesterday - the Made by Google event. It was supposed to be all about their shiny new gadgets.
But boy, did they miss the mark!
Remember when phone launches were actually about, you know, phones?
Well, Google apparently decided to take an alternative approach.
They decided to turn the whole thing into an AI lovefest, leaving their poor phones and hardware in the dust.
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Not about phones
Get this: they even had the audacity to use Samsung and Motorola phones to show off their AI features.
At their own event!
They were supposed to be showing off their new Pixel 9 series!
Hahahahahaha
Talk about a slap in the face to their own devices.
They droned on about Gemini AI for a solid 30 minutes before even mentioning the phones. And when they finally did, it was just a quick glimpse and then back to the AI circus.
I mean, come on, Google! Show me the goods!
When they finally decided to show the phone, truth be told, the Pixel 9 phones look awesome. It is sweet evolution of an already killer design. But did we get any juicy close-ups or beauty shots?
Nope.
Everyone was too busy gushing over how AI could mess with our photos, tell us the weather, and organize our screenshots.
Yawn.
Even the Pixel Watch 3, which has a game-changing feature called Loss of Pulse Detection, got the short end of the stick. They rushed through it in under 10 minutes, despite it being one of the only things that might actually make a difference in someone's life.
And don't get me started on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 demo.
Watching someone awkwardly chat with Gemini Live was about as enjoyable as a root canal.
We get it, Google. You love AI. But maybe, just maybe, focus on the products we're here to see?
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Rick Osterloh, that is Google's VP of platforms and devices, he kept hammering that "*the Gemini era is real*".
Yeah, I know that now.
You've only said it a million times.
But what about the era of actually showcasing your new devices?
When the event mercifully ended, Osterloh encouraged everyone to go try the AI features. Not the Pixel 9, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, or the Pixel Watch. Nope. Just the AI. I'm pretty sure they launched some new devices, but I must have blinked and missed it.
So I decided to write this open letter to Google
Dear Google,
I want to know about the hardware; The design. The durability tests. Show us the watch on different wrists, the new size, the smaller bezels. Make us fall in love with your products.
But instead, I left the event feeling like we barely knew them at all.
Oh, and the cherry on top?
The After Party livestream, where Hot Ones host Sean Evans fed Osterloh spicy wings and asked him pre-written questions.
The first one?
"What makes you most excited about the current state of AI?"
I'd laugh if it wasn't so cringeworthy.
So, to be perfectly clear, your product launch event was a masterclass in how not to showcase your new stuff.
Let's hope you remember what matters most next time: the products, not the AI hype machine.
Thank you,
And signing off - Marco
Well, that's a wrap for today. Tomorrow, I'll have a fresh episode of TechTonic Shifts for you. If you enjoy my writing and want to support my work, feel free to buy me a coffee ??
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