Live Updates From the ‘Made by Google’ Pixel Event 🔴

The Pixel 10 phone lineup all support Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W (not the recently introduced 25W standard coming to future devices). To emphasize that capability, Google wants to sell you a whole slew of wireless charging accessories. The company’s Pixelsnap charging pucks are all compatible with Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Plus, there’s a separate ring stand to help prop up your new device. However, the coolest of the bunch is the Pixelsnap Charger with Stand, which can turn your new Pixel phone into a handy display for your bedside table. That stand is also compatible with the foldable, even when open. —Kyle Barr

During the livestream, Jimmy Fallon was a little too over the top when he exclaimed the benefits of IP68 rating on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. That rating designates that its protected against dust and can survive in about three feet of water for 30 minutes. Google reps had to bring him back down to earth, but the tech giant is also being far more forthcoming about the limitations of IP ratings. As first noted by The Verge, in some of its promotional images posted to X, Google wrote, “Water resistance and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and will diminish or be lost over time due to normal wear and tear, device repair, disassembly, or damage.”

Just because this is the first foldable with such a high IP rating doesn’t mean that durability will last forever. —Kyle Barr

Also ran into Gizmodo alum Sam Rutherford, who is now my mortal rival at Engadget. I’m just kidding… nothing but love for Sam. One of the best to ever tech blog! —Raymond Wong

Okay, that’s a wrap. If any of these new Pixel devices speak to you, preorders start today, and base pricing is as follows:

• Pixel 10, $799
• Pixel 10 Pro, $999
• Pixel 10 Pro XL, $1,199
• Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, $1,799
• Google Pixel Watch 4, $350
• Google Pixel Buds 2a, $129

Keep in mind most of these will also be available via Amazon and Best Buy, which sometimes run promotions, so do some due diligence before you pull the trigger. —James Pero

Look who I ran into… tech YouTuber extraordinaire, Brian Tong. Love this guy! Always good vibes and good energy! —Raymond Wong

Nick Jonas strolled up on stage to share that his latest music video for I Can’t Lose was shot fully on Pixel 10. Normally, this kind of “shot on iPhone” claim is followed up with a video that was obviously made with millions of dollars’ worth of professional camera equipment and then put through a metric ton of post-processing. What’s additionally strange about the video put out by the Jonas Brothers is that it seems like it was honestly shot on a phone, with all the odd visual issues like sun flares along with less-than-professional depth of field. Hey, you know what? The video didn’t look too bad, all things considered. —Kyle Barr

Most people don’t need wired headphones. Modern wireless headphones and earbuds are low latency and offer quality sound. There are some audiophiles who would listen to Google dunk on wired earbuds courtesy of SubwayTakes’ Kareem Rahma and are likely screaming at the top of their lungs. Wired devices are normally cheaper, harder to lose, and they have practically zero latency compared to wireless, which, if you care about the most accurate audio, is pretty important. The Pixel Buds 2a seem pretty solid for budget-end earbuds. Audiophiles will still look to spend their money on a pair of wired monitors. —Kyle Barr

Google’s new live translation feature actually deepfakes your voice in real-time and the voice of the person you’re talking to. According to my partner, who is bilingual (Spanish-speaking), Google’s AI kind of crushes it, inflection and all. Here’s the demo from the event:

Wow, Jimmy Fallon's voice was translated—deepfaked—into Spanish on Pixel 10… and it worked fast and accurately. Even getting inflections correct. This is the quiet game-changing AI feature… translations pic.twitter.com/SAXeowCXpE

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) August 20, 2025

—James Pero

Basic rule of thirds isn’t a hard concept to grasp. All phones, including Pixel, include the intersecting lines to help you better line up a shot. Google wants to imply that its new AI-engineered Camera Coach feature will finally make those lazy boyfriends take better photos of their significant others. Maybe the issue truly was a lack of knowledge, but I see the issue with far more of a pessimistic outlook. If you were too lazy to line up a shot by getting on your knee to frame the subject with better composition, you probably won’t do it just because Pixel told you to. Professional photographers will already try to chase their subject from multiple angles. The rest of us will do what we can. At least Google’s Night Sight photo enhancement mode is getting better every year. —Kyle Barr

Google says the Pixel 10 Pro is the only phone capable of shooting 50-megapixel resolution portrait photos. Is that true? Who can fact-check this? Can we trust Gemini for the task? That’s pretty impressive if it’s true. —Raymond Wong

They brought out Alex Cooper, host of the podcast, Call Her Daddy to talk about Gemini camera features. They’re really making Fallon work for every dollar with a live Camera Coach demonstration where he awkwardly sits on a couch waiting for Cooper to snap a pic.

Say what you will about AI features in phones, but Google definitely has the most of any brand.

—James Pero

Photo editors should be worried… Gemini can now do their jobs with a single prompt. One of the cooler Gemini AI features on Pixel 10 lets you simply enter a prompt with the edits you want to be made to a photo, and the AI should just do it. r/PhotoshopBattles is about to get WILD. Honestly, this feature could be a big deal if it works well. Nobody likes spending time adjusting sliders and making edits. If you can just tell an AI to do it all for you with natural language, why not? —Raymond Wong

If you hate having to dive into your emails or calendar for your flight details or appointments when you’re texting your friends or family, Magic Cue on Pixel 10 should make it a little easier. When you’re in the Phone or Messages app, you should see those pertinent details pop up on-screen that will let you immediately send them. This will require that users give Gemini access to all their pertinent apps, like Gmail or Calendar, but Google promises this will all be secure since the AI processes are happening on-device. —Kyle Barr

Google says it’s “done with the conversation” over green bubbles versus blue bubbles, but I don’t think it is…

I mean, they’re literally talking about it right now. If you’re done talking about it, do you need to announce that you’re done talking about it? Not to mention, I’m pretty sure most people still consider the whole green bubble thing a lot when they think about switching from iOS to Android.

Sorry, Google, not buying that one. —James Pero

So Pixel Buds 2a are now official, but they blazed right by the announcement. Plus, look at that face. That’s the face of somebody who loves his AirPods. We all know that face. —Raymond Wong

“Twinsies,” exclaimed Jimmy Fallon as he held up his Pixel Watch 4 alongside Adrienne Lofton. It does look appealing with that cutesy redesign thanks to Material 3 Expressive. There’s a whole bunch of upgrades we already talked about at length. However, Google made a big claim when it said its new watch is the only device of this type that can detect a loss of pulse, which will supposedly alert emergency contacts or potentially emergency services. —Kyle Barr

Okay, Fallon fake nerding out over Google’s Tensor chip and IP68 dust and water-resistance is actually kind of funny. You got me, Jimmy. You’re pulling me back in. —James Pero

That’s 10 generations of Pixel phones since the original launched in October 2016. What. A. Throwback. Which one was your favorite? Pixel 2 was a game-changer IMO. Also, peep that Pixel 10 Pro Fold in Moonstone and Jade on the table in the foreground. —Raymond Wong

Google offered a quick explainer about “walled gardens,” which is tech jargon for a digital ecosystem that keeps users on the company’s own platform, using its own services. Google should know a fair amount about walled gardens. It was sued by Epic Games over accusations it restricted third-party app stores other than its own Play Store. Google appealed a ruling in favor of Epic that would open up Android to more app stores. The company then lost that appeal. Google does have a far more open model with Android than Apple’s iOS. Google lets developers modify its platform to a greater extent, and the company licenses its OS to far more outside companies. —Kyle Barr

Something about Fallon in front of a ton of Pixel devices just seems… off. I feel like it’s 1997 and I’m home from school sick, watching QVC while half-zonked on cold meds. —James Pero

Look at how cool it is… it’s like a camera droid. Who’s the cameraman controlling this guy? I must knowwww. Pixel 10 who? —Raymond Wong

I think this wireless camera dolly just stole the Pixel 10’s thunder pic.twitter.com/BHhfsT1Dpg

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) August 20, 2025

For all those planning to get a Pixel 10 Pro phone, you’ll also get a full year of Google’s AI Pro subscription, which is normally $20 a month. Sorry for all those planning to spend less on a Pixel 10, Google’s not going to be nearly as generous. If you don’t care at all about Gemini AI, at least you get a full 2 TB of cloud storage.

Google has made similar offers for people who bought the latest Chromebook Plus models. As somebody who ended up reviewing several, I can offer some advice. Remember to cancel your subscription once you stop using it. It’s a pain to check your bank account and realize you were automatically charged $20. —Kyle Barr

Jimmy Fallon doesn’t understand the word agentic. That makes sense, as the vast majority of people really don’t comprehend what that means. An AI “agent” or “agentic AI” is essentially multiple AI models that can communicate with each other to complete a more complex task. While ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini chatbot can burp out text with surprising speed and legibility, an AI agent could combine that with an AI voice model and other, smaller AI models to respond to a call for you. For Google’s phones, “agents” is just the catch-all term for the AI capabilities in the Pixel 10 camera, live call translation, and more. —Kyle Barr

Okay, so how much did Google pay to get Rick Osterloh his own Tonight Show—sorry, maybe The Afternoon Show? Since it’s *checks watch* 1:10 p.m. right now. Guess money can buy you your own late night—sorry, afternoon—show. Leave your budget guesses in the comments! —Raymond Wong

Jimmy Fallon introducing Google's head of Pixel Rick Osterloh pic.twitter.com/Ao77txEZP0

— Ray Wong (@raywongy) August 20, 2025

Google’s Rick Osterloh says he thinks the Pixel 10 lineup is “game-changing,” which I guess explains the event’s inclusion of so many NBA stars? Or maybe someone at Google HQ really just likes basketball. Good excuse to schmooze with Steph Curry, I guess. —James Pero

Google started off its Made By Google event by “passing the phone” to a handful of influencers, celebrities, and a talking goat. The fake creatures were supposedly created by Gemini and Google’s Veo AI video model. I could not care less about Jimmy Fallon, to be honest, but why can’t we hear more from the Loch Ness Monster? -Kyle Barr

Does Jimmy even know what a Tensor chip is or what an IP rating entails? Dude is a tech nerd… —Raymond Wong

Please say yes. Please, please. —James Pero

There’s a guy out on stage ahead of the 1 p.m. show trying to get everyone hyped for Jimmy Fallon (and whoever else shows up). He’s asking everyone to clap and holler and whistle and… I just can’t right now. He’s telling us to laugh even if Jimmy’s not funny. I’m absolutely not doing that. “Laugh, laugh, laugh!”

Was that a boo from the back row? Oh god, he’s telling us to applause. —Raymond Wong

I’m seated inside the Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, NY. The staff aren’t allowing food or drinks in the seating area… which means they took away my chocolate and caffeine. I’m big ANGRY. Why would you want hangry press?

I feel like I haven’t slept in weeks. So Google’s spread of sugar—salted dark chocolate, pretzels, and whatever these nibbles are—is very welcome. ALSO: COFFEEEEEEEEEE!!!! —Raymond Wong

There’s not a ton to unpack with the new Pixel Buds 2a, but they are finally getting ANC, which… hooray!? It’s hard to say without trying them myself yet, but they sound solid on paper.

Google says a new Tensor chip will also improve sound quality, and there are not one but two new colors: Iris and Hazel.

—James Pero

Gizmodo’s Senior Editor, Consumer Tech, Raymond Wong, also got a look at the Pixel Watch 4, and like its phones, the hardware is getting a modest tweak.

One of the biggest shifts is a domed screen that literally pops, and bezels that are 16% smaller than the last generation. Google also threw in a new chip here, the Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip, which should give the Pixel Watch 4 15% stronger haptics and 25% longer battery life.

For the full rundown, read our hands-on:

If you had any doubts about Google’s commitment to bringing Gemini to your phones, the Pixel 10 lineup should make its goals abundantly clear.

Senior Editor, Consumer Tech, Raymond Wong, got a chance to peep the entire new slate of Pixel phones, and while the hardware, lineup-wide, is only getting a modest bump up (the base model Pixel 10 now has three cameras, for example), new AI features abound.

“Magic Cue,” for example, is an on-device personal AI assistant that can surface relevant information automatically—it’s trying to anticipate what you want and serve it up—while a new translate feature deepfakes your voice in real-time so people can hear translated speech that sounds like you and vice versa. For a full rundown of what to expect, check out our hands-on:

—James Pero

Got my badge, now let’s get this Pixel party started! What are you guys most excited to see announced? —Raymond Wong

So, uh… There have been a few leaks. By a few, I mean a lot of leaks, and as a result, there may not be much to be surprised about on the hardware side of things. That being said, there’s still a whole other universe of AI features out there, and Gemini might be the star of the show, so to speak.

Whether Google can actually make people care about those AI features is a whole different story, but based on its recent keynote events, I think it’s going to try its damnedest. I’d say take a shot for every time someone says “Gemini,” but I think that would send a lot of people to the hospital.

—James Pero. 

Google is pulling out the big guns to host this year’s Pixel hardware event. Maybe medium guns? I don’t know; does anyone care about Jimmy Fallon? Maybe someone does, and I’m really happy for that person (or maybe multiple people!) right now. Poor Jimmy doesn’t have much to work with in the way of tension this year, since pretty much all of Google’s hardware has apparently leaked, but a good entertainer doesn’t blame his tools… or something.

My personal favorite Google guest in recent years was preeminent weirdo and electronic music artist, Dan Deacon, who did some silly AI stuff at I/O a few years back, but I guess Fallon will have to do.

—James Pero.

Why keep anything a surprise? After Google effectively spoiled its entire show with full renders of each of its upcoming phones, watches, and more, leakers already have supposed prices of all the upcoming products. Semi-reliable leaker Evan Blass shared an image on X describing the entire lineup. The stock standard Pixel 10 will demand $800 for 128GB of SSD storage. A Pixel 10 Pro starts at $1,000 while its bigger brother, the Pro XL, will demand $1,200 for a starting 256GB of storage, according to Blass’ leak. The real kicker is the $1,800 price tag on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which is now $200 less than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Even if Google’s foldable refresh doesn’t look nearly as thin as Samsung’s latest device, at least it’s $200 cheaper. The leak also spells out a number of accessories Google intends to sell along with its phones. —Kyle Barr

Pricing. The Buds 2a slot in at $129. Enjoy the launch tomorrow, especially those planning to buy. pic.twitter.com/ZSKwq52LDM

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) August 20, 2025

Google couldn’t wait until its “Made by Google” event to announce its full Pixel 10 smartphone lineup, so it shared a family shot early. If you’ve been living underneath a rock, here’s what you need to know: there will be a Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

You can see and read about Google’s own “leak” for the entire family of new Android phones here.

Check out that new blue color, though. Feels like a throwback to the original, first-gen Pixel 1. The gray “Moonstone” looks pretty neutral. —Raymond Wong