Google throws obligatory shade at Apple during its hardware event
Google just held itsMade by Google event today, where it showed off its newPixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones, as well as thePixel Watchand a (brief) teaser ofGoogle’s upcoming Pixel tablet. But in classic Google fashion, the company also took advantage of the spotlight to throw a handful of digs to Apple, its antics, and some of the newest features it announced for the new iPhone 14 lineup.
Right before unveiling its newest phone lineup, Google’s Brian Rakowski mentioned on stage that Google is an innovator in the smartphone space, and because of that, the company “takes it as a compliment” when other companies follow its lead. Of course, with “others,” Google means Apple here.
During Apple’s event, one of the biggest feature additions to the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro lineup, as well as to the newest Apple Watch, was crash detection. If you’re involved in a car crash, your phone can detect it and call emergency services to get you help unless you let your device know that you’re okay. Google mentioned at its event that it introduced car crash detection to its Pixel phones over three years ago. Likewise, Apple also added an always-on display for the first time on iPhones — a troubled implementation, but still, an implementation nonetheless — which Google mentioned has been present on Pixels since the Pixel 2 launched in 2017.
Google also took yet another dig at Apple for its messaging antics, talking about the one feature the company wishes Apple would copy. The company once again called out the Cupertino-based giant for sticking to iMessage instead of supporting RCS, saying that it hopes “every device maker” gets the message and adopts RCS in the near future. Google is still keeping its#GetTheMessage campaigngoing, even as Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO,confirmedthat the company isn’t really interested in implementing it.
iOS borrowing features from Android is nothing new, but these kinds of callouts from Google are becoming increasingly common.
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