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The Made by Google event felt like being sucked into an episode of Wandavision
For the past twenty years or so, I’ve had a clear image of what a product launch keynote is supposed to be like. A charismatic executive walks across the stage, points to some animations and pre-taped clips, a live demo or two happens, and the crowd goes wild. Clips proliferate on social media and cue the online discourse. You can trace it back to Steve Jobs dressed in a black turtleneck, with a glint in his eye, walking across a stage, asking if a hyped-up audience is ready for one more thing. So iconic was that format, it’s been the blueprint for nearly every tech keynote since.
Today’s Made by Google event was decidedly not that.
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The Pixel Pro 10 phones include a certified Thread radio.
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The best new features of the Pixel 10 lineup
Image: Google
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Google says the quiet part out loud: IP68 protection doesn’t last
Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge
No phone is waterproof. No phone is dustproof. Your phone’s sealants wear away over time; when they’re exposed to salt or chlorine in your swimming water; or when they’re dropped, dented, or cracked. Your warranty doesn’t cover liquid damage; if companies find water in an IP68 phone, it’s proof you damaged it!
But while these things are all true of every manufacturer in my reporting, I’ve never seen a company proactively say them out loud like Google just did in advertising materials.
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The magnets are the coolest thing about the Pixel 10
Qi2 is good because magnets are good.
If you’re gonna preserve food in metal cans, you should probably have a way to open them up again. And if you’re going to rely on induction coils to transfer electricity, you gotta make sure they line up right. It took almost half a century after the invention of canning for someone to invent the can opener, so I guess it’s not too bad it only took eight years for Apple to slap a ring of magnets around a Qi charging coil. And it only took five years after that for Google to put that ring of magnets on a Pixel phone.
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Here’s everything you need to know about preordering the new Google Pixel phones
Google announced its entire Pixel 10 generation of phones at a jam-packed Made for Google event this week. The familiar four-phone lineup includes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. All of them have received processor bumps and other technical improvements, along with a commitment by Google to provide seven years of operating system updates. Naturally, there are some new AI features, too.
The Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL start at $799, $999, and $1,199, respectively, and begin shipping on August 28th. The Pixel 10 Pro Fold, meanwhile, starts at $1,799 and launches on October 9th. If you’re confused about what makes each phone tick or which to choose, we’ve broken everything down, along with preorder information if you decide to pick one up.
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Is that a new Nest smart speaker I spy?
What was that gadget F1 driver Lando Norris was talking to during his skit at the Made By Google event? It definitely wasn’t a Nest Wifi or Nest Mini.
Looks like Google may have just teased some upcoming Google Nest hardware, likely powered by its new Gemini for Home voice assistant announced today.
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How Google’s new Pixel 10 phones compare to one another on paper
At its latest Made by Google event, the search giant officially revealed four new phones: the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. That’s a lot of devices, especially when you consider the different colors and storage configurations. And we can’t forget about the Pixel 9A from April, which remains our go-to recommendation for a cheap Android phone.
If you’re staring at the new Pixel 10 lineup and wondering which one actually deserves a spot in your pocket, we have you covered. All four include Google’s new Pixelsnap magnetic tech, a Tensor G5 chip, and seven years of software updates, but they differ in key ways, too. Whether you’re on a budget, want the most advanced camera system available, or are curious about switching to a foldable, there’s an option for everyone.
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Did Rick Osterloh just take a shot at Apple?
Google’s head of devices and services said there have been “a lot of broken promises” when it comes to putting AI in phones, seemingly alluding to the delayed launch of Apple’s AI-upgraded Siri. “Gemini is the real deal,” Osterloh said.
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Jimmy Fallon says this event is like a Taylor Swift album for nerds.
He then launched into a laundry list of celebrity guests including Steph Curry, the Jonas Brothers, and more professional athletes who I have never heard of. Right now, Rick Osterloh is being interviewed like he’s a guest on the Late Show.
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The Pixel 10 launch event is starting!
Get ready to see a whole bunch of new devices.
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Gemini for Home is Google’s biggest smart home play in years
It’s finally happening: Google Assistant in the home is getting its Gemini glow-up. “Gemini for Home” is an all-new voice assistant for Google Home, set to arrive later this year, the company announced today.
This new voice assistant, powered by Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence, will eventually replace Google Assistant on Google’s Nest smart speakers and displays for hands-free control of things like smart lights, music, setting timers, and answering questions. Rollout begins in October through an early access program, with both free and paid tiers available. Google says you’ll still summon the assistant with “Hey Google,” and it will work across all your home devices and for every member of your household, as well as visitors.
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I caught all the Verge alumni pokemon.
There’s a rare Dieter Bohn and Dan Seifert, plus a shiny Phil Esposito and an evolved Chris Welch. We’re being told to take our seats ahead of the Made By Google presentation.
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Here’s where you can preorder Google’s upcoming Pixel Watch 4
Google’s Pixel phone lineup isn’t the only thing getting an upgrade in the coming weeks. The company also took the time during its recent Made by Google event to introduce the forthcoming Pixel Watch 4, which starts at $349 and hits shelves on October 9th. Thankfully, if you’re looking to secure one at launch, you can already preorder the Pixel Watch 3 successor from Google, Amazon, and Best Buy.
The redesigned Pixel Watch 4 sports a new domed “Actua 360” display with slimmer bezels and noticeably more screen real estate. It’s twice as bright as last year’s Pixel Watch 3, too, with 3,000 nits of peak brightness. Google added a side-mounted charger, which, as my colleague Victoria Song noted in her hands-on impressions, turns your watch into a little display that showcases the battery percentage, your next alarm, and other info. And, in a very welcome improvement, both the display and the battery are now replaceable (and repairable).
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Everything was just announced an hour before Google’s event starts.
The Made by Google 2025 event starts at 1 p.m. ET, and all the news is out now. I wonder what we’ll learn in an hour.
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Google is launching its first magnetic wireless charging accessories
With its new Pixel 10 Series, Google is finally embracing the Qi2 wireless charging standard, making it much easier to securely attach wireless chargers thanks to a ring of magnets built into the device. That also makes the new phone compatible with the many MagSafe and Qi2 accessories already on the market — so naturally, Google is introducing its own options, too.
The $39.99 Pixelsnap Charger is a wireless charging puck that looks similar to Apple’s own MagSafe charger and is compatible with other Qi2-certified devices. It supports wireless charging speeds up to 25W when paired with the Pixel 10 Pro XL and can be purchased with an optional stand accessory (as part of a $69.99 bundle) that’s sturdy enough to support the Pixel 10 Pro Fold while it’s unfolded and allows the charging puck to be detached as needed.
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Google Pixel 10 launch event: the 8 biggest announcements
Google has just announced a bunch of shiny new devices to look at and AI features to yell about. As part of its Made by Google event, the company revealed an upgraded Pixel 10 lineup, a bubblier smartwatch with a brighter screen, and a ton of AI updates that extend across all of its new devices.
Here’s everything that was announced at the Made by Google 2025 event.
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The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first fully dust-resistant foldable
Finally, a foldable to take to the beach. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is official, matching last year’s starting MSRP of $1,799, and it comes with an IP68 rating. That means full water and dust resistance, which is something that no other foldable maker has figured out yet — and no small feat for a device with moving parts.
The 10 Pro Fold uses a new hinge with a gear-less design that Google says provides better protection against drops. It certainly feels sturdy, though it didn’t feel overly stiff when I unfolded and folded the phone back up again. The crease on the inner screen doesn’t look any more prominent to my eye, but I’m not usually bothered by the crease anyway.
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Google’s Pixel Buds Pro 2 are getting new AI-powered features in September
Photo: Chris Welch / The Verge
Google just announced its new budget Pixel Buds 2A, but it didn’t forget about the earbuds it launched last fall. Owners of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 will get an update in September that will deliver a few new AI-powered features.
One of them, Adaptive Audio, automatically adjusts the volume based on the noise in your environment. Google’s also improving the audio processing to reduce background noise when interacting with Gemini Live. Pro 2 owners will be able to pick up calls and reply to texts hands-free by nodding or shaking their head. A new Loud Noise Protection feature, in which the buds automatically dampen sound when loud noises like sirens or alarms are detected, is also coming.
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Fitbit’s AI health coach is the first I might actually be interested in
I’m not a fan of AI health and fitness features. Not only do they regurgitate Captain Obvious-level summaries of what you just did, but the “insights” are so generalized that a Google search is often more helpful. So it was with great skepticism that I walked into a demo to learn about Fitbit’s forthcoming AI-powered personal health coach. To my surprise, I left cautiously curious about where Fitbit is going.
“We really want to move towards this world of coaching,” Andy Abramson, Google’s director of product management for Fitbit and Health, says during a demo of the feature. Professional athletes have a whole team of people helping to craft their fitness regimens. “We asked ourselves, what if everyone could have something like this?”
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Google’s Pixel Watch 4 has big ideas — and an even bigger focus on AI
The original Pixel Watch was late to the game. For years, there had been rumors of a Google smartwatch that never materialized. Then, when it finally arrived, it was a quintessential first-gen device, with thicc bezels, dismal battery life, and a host of quirks that needed ironing out. My DMs were full of people wondering when the watch would be unceremoniously dumped into Google’s infamous product graveyard. A part of me wondered if Google was going to spend the next decade playing catch-up.
Fast forward to 2025, and I’m holding the Pixel Watch 4 at Google’s office in New York City. On the surface (and my wrist), it doesn’t look like much has changed. But after fiddling with a few menus, watching some demos, and talking over the updates, it’s evident that Google has a clear vision about where smartwatches are going.
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The newest Pixels put generative AI right inside the camera
At The Verge, we like to ask “What is a photo?” when we’re trying to sort out real and unreal images — especially those taken with phone cameras. But I think there’s another question that we’ll want to add to the mix starting right now: what is a camera? With the introduction of the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL, that answer is more wild and complicated than ever, because generative AI isn’t just something you can use to edit a photo you’ve already taken; it’s baked right into the camera itself.
I’m talking about Pro Res Zoom, which is not to be confused with Apple’s ProRes video format or Google’s Super Res Zoom, so help us all. Pro Res Zoom kicks in when past 30x, all the way up to 100x digital zoom. Typically, the camera uses an algorithm to help fill in the gaps left by upscaling a small portion of your photo to the original resolution. Typically, the results look like hot garbage, especially when you get all the way to 75x or 100x, despite every camera maker’s best efforts over the past two decades. Pro Res Zoom aims to give you a usable image where you wouldn’t have gotten one before — and that’s where the diffusion model comes in.
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The Google Pixel 10 and 10 Pro come with magnets, a new chip, and AI everywhere
Google has formally announced the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL, and their hardware upgrades can be summed up in two letter/number combinations: G5 and Qi2. Otherwise, there’s not much to see on the outside of the phones. They mostly cost the same as last year’s devices — $799 for the Pixel 10, $999 for the 10 Pro, and $1,199 for the 256GB 10 Pro XL, though Google got rid of the cheaper 128GB Pro XL variant. They also look an awful lot like last year’s phones, with a few specs tweaked here and there. But we got a look at some of the new features running on these phones, including — you guessed it — a bunch of AI stuff, and there’s just a whole lot more going on than meets the eye.
But let’s start with those top-line updates. In each of these phones is the new Tensor G5 chipset, the first one made by TSMC after four generations of Samsung-made, Google-customized silicon. Google says the CPU is on average 34 percent faster than Tensor G4’s, and claims a 60 percent performance increase for on-device AI tasks handled by the TPU. On-device AI is a real theme across the Pixel 10’s new features, which we’ll get to in a minute.
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Google’s Pixel Buds 2A add Gemini, noise cancellation, and a replaceable battery
Photo: Allison Johnson / The Verge
Four years after launching the original Pixel Buds A-series, Google’s back with the Pixel Buds 2A. The new budget buds are $30 more expensive at $129.99, but add some notable updates like an upgraded chip, Gemini access, a replaceable battery, and most importantly, active noise cancellation.
The 2A also adds a Tensor A1 chip, which Google says “unlocks the power of Google’s advanced AI and Gemini features.” That Gemini access was heavily emphasized during my briefings, though in practice it mostly replaces Google Assistant on the buds. For most people, the most exciting feature enabled by the new Tensor chip is active noise cancellation and a transparency mode. The acoustics have been re-engineered — there’s also AI-powered wind and background noise reduction for calls. Google says battery life has increased to roughly seven hours with ANC on and 10 hours with it off. The case holds an extra 20 hours of juice. Five minutes of charging also gets you about an hour of playtime. The buds also have improved IP54 water and sweat resistance, while the case gets an IPX4 rating.
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Google signs Stephen Curry to pitch its Pixel, health, and AI gear
Google has brought NBA star Stephen Curry on board to help shape the company’s hardware, features, and AI services. The long-term partnership was announced today at the Made by Google event, with Curry joining the company as a “performance advisor” for Google’s Health, Pixel, and Cloud products, leaning into his athletic experience and expertise.
Part of Curry’s job will involve testing and providing feedback for Fitbit’s new personal health coach, sharing “coaching methods and philosophies” that can be used to improve the feature, according to Google’s press release. The health coach is a Gemini-based chatbot that generates customized workout routines and metric targets for Fitbit app users based on the health goals they’re working towards.
