My Thoughts on Made by Google '22
Why do I still get excited for tech events?
This week Google had their big event where they announce some new products that are meant to make your life easier. And I have to admit that I was really excited for this event. I had the date saved in my calendar. My inner tech nerd was ready to just geek-out and take in all the life-changing updates and specs that would be on display.
But I have to admit that I was slightly let down by the whole experience.
So I wanted to take a moment to just reflect not on just this event but tech announcements in general. Are they still important? Should the average person care? Should even the die-hard tech enthusiasts care anymore?
Let’s talk about it.
The Good Old Days
I don’t want to sound like the old nerd shaking his fist at a cloud saying that everything was better in the halcyon days of tech announcements. Were these events really that much better when Steve Jobs was around? Yes and and no.
Steve Jobs was many things, but there is no denying his stage presence when he was announcing a new product. It’s a bit hard to describe. Steve commanded the attention of everyone watching in a way that just doesn’t seem to happen anymore. Nothing against Rick Osterloh or any of the other Google presenters (it’s kinda sad that I don’t recall any of their names besides Rick, and I consider myself to be a major Google nerd) but they just don’t have the charisma of jobs.
What exactly do they need to be good at this job? Of course, even the great Steve Jobs was reading off a teleprompter, so I can’t give him too much credit for ad-libbing or working the crowd. I will say that he did have a better sense of timing. He knew when to pause for dramatic effect. He knew the lines that would get the “ooohs and ahhhs” and applause from the crown and he lingered on them appropriately.
This is also a great time to plug the amazing Steve Jobs Archive that Apple recently launched. It’s the perfect place to go to relive some of the amazing quotes and moments that made Jobs great.
The Modern Tech Announcement
There were several instances during the latest Google event where the presenter stumbled on their words or started speaking before a video cut them off, or other minor gaffs. I get it, these are mostly engineers not seasoned public speakers, but they could use some work.
And this honestly isn’t meant to be a piece to just pile on the negative feedback, but does it drive anyone else crazy to see just how similarly dressed the presenters are? It’s like they’re wearing the same exact uniform but it’s just slightly different enough for them to feel unique. Maybe it ties into Android’s old tag line “Be Together. Not the Same.” It would almost make me feel more comfortable if they just all wore the same exact shirt and got it over with. But I digress…
I also want to address the subtle digs at the competition that have become commonplace in every big tech announcement. One of the presenters had to make a comment about how flattering it is for other companies to copy their ideas. Yes, Android phones have had things like Face Unlock or Always-on Displays long before the iPhone did. But Apple has done many things first or better than Android as well. We all know that it’s a back-and-forth battle of releasing half-baked features and slowly refining them until they seem better than what the other companies are offering.
Do the folks creating the Google presentation think that they’re being funny? Do they think the subtle digs will rile up the Android fan base and make them buy more phones? Again, I think I’m squarely entrenched in their target audience and these tactics do nothing but make me scratch my head or cringe.
How Long is Too Long?
And what about the duration of the event? Google has managed to keep things brief enough to fit into a tidy 1-hour presentation. I may be wrong, but I remember tech events easily pushing past 2-hours in the “good old days.” We don’t need to make these longer for just the hell of it, but if this is your annual address to your legions of adoring fans, I think 90-minutes should be a minimum.
One other minor gripe on the timing. I can’t think of a company that more closely identifies with Silicon Valley than Google (ok, maybe Apple?). And you know, Silicon Valley is in California, that’s the Pacific time zone. And yet, for the past few years Google has held these events in New York and had the live streams take place a bit early for their loyal California fans.
This is absolutely personal bias, but I don’t want to tune-in for a big product announcement at 7 am. I understand there are Google fans all around the world and there isn’t a perfect time. But know the roots of your company and just start the event at 10 am California time/1 pm New York time. That should make a majority of people happy.
Concluding Thoughts on the Actual Products
I don’t think this is the space for me to give my detailed feelings about all the products that Google announce at this event. I’ll just say that I pre-ordered a Pixel 7 and will eagerly be trading in my Pixel 6. The Pro models are still unnecessarily large in my opinion. I’d like all the same specs in the smaller device, but oh well. I can live with one less camera and a slightly smaller battery if the phone can actually fit in my pocket without looking ridiculous.
I’m sure I’ll have more to say about the Pixel Watch and some of the other devices soon. I’ve tried two versions of the Pixel Buds and I’m just out on them. Nothing to be excited about there. I wasn’t impressed by everything, but there were a few noteworthy things that should make our tech lives easier. A tablet that turns into a smart display is a novel idea but we’ll learn more about that one next year. And I used to be a big fan of Google’s mesh wi-fi system, I may need to give the updated router a try.
Overall, the event was fine. I do wish that Google had a more standout presenter star in the vein of Steve Jobs. Sadly, Rick Osterloh is not it. And CEO Sundar Pichai has an almost too calm demeanor to really get you amped up about phones. Hell, I’d be open to them just hiring an actor and giving them a crash course on the tech. Jon Hamm? Jimmy Fallon? Dwayne Johnson? It’s not like they’re fielding live questions or anything, anyone can read off the prompter and where an unremarkable primary-colored shirt.
Those are my thoughts! Anyone else tune-in for the event? Do you still care about tech announcements like this? Let me know in the comments!
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Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
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