Pixel 10 preview screw up: Google had one chance and it blew it

Phone Arena

8 hours ago

After a short hiatus – to make you miss me more (in fact, I hope you didn't notice I was absent for the last three weeks) – I'm back and what do you know: it's none other than Google itself that is once again on my radar!
The Big G has caught my attention not by doing something, but by not doing it. I'm talking, of course, about the fact that Google has apparently rescheduled its super-duper fancy and exclusive Pixel 10 Superfans event. This elitist soirée was supposed to take place at the very end of June (in other words – in less than two weeks time) and – most importantly – ahead of the Pixel 10 family launch, which could happen at a point in August.
– Google to Superfans group
Yup, the Pixel Superfans Insider Event will allegedly be held on September 4, 2025. You read that right: after the potential Pixel 10 August unveiling.Pretty logical, right?! At first, this eyebrow-raising news got me a bit confused.
The Google Pixel 9. | Image credit – PhoneArena Imagine the next Star Wars movie hits the theaters in August. Imagine then getting an invitation for a September Star Wars-exclusive gathering to learn. Okay, bad example: you may actually learn some behind-the-scenes trivia at such an event, since the movie is just the final product that you see. Unlike a phone's unveiling.
The problem is that if the Pixel 10 is presented in August, there'll be practically nothing else to learn at the eventual September Pixel 10 Superfans meeting. Google will drop all the official numbers, specs and data in August: in fact, the company will talk extensively about it and brag about it in detail. "Something is rotten in the state of Palo Alto", as the twenty-first century Hamlet would put it.
The Google Pixel 9. | Image credit – PhoneArena
I think Google absolutely doesn't want to screw things up by presenting a Pixel 10 in late June (even to a select, generally Google-favorable audience) that is not absolutely polished. Don't believe me? Just ask Tim Cook and company. Apple's AI promises and bold claims from 2024 turned into a full-blown 2025 fiasco, when it became known that the iPhone maker will not be able to fulfill its word of honor. That's precisely why this year's WWDC Apple event was much more toned down than the one held in 2024. Yeah, as it turns out, people don't like to be let down.So, I think the Pixel 10 is not yet 100% ready, hence it's not eligible for other eyes and hands than its maker's. Maybe there are just minor tweaks and technical issues to be sorted. Well, it's past mid-June, so I hope the Big G has sorted the major problems months ago – but I think the company doesn't want to risk walking in the Apple trap.Or could it be that Google wants to keep things secret?
The Google Pixel 9. | Image credit – PhoneArena
I'd be so happy if Google was canceling the Pixel 10 Superfans event because it wants to keep the upcoming flagship secret.Oh, what a glorious time it would be if a company could just present a brand-new model: no major leaks, no month-long teasers, no snoopy tipsters that spoil the fun for the rest of us.For me, there's a real joy in learning all the official info about a new gadget right away.Don't get me wrong, I generally like leaks and preliminary info. I just don't like Google's approach – the company can't keep things secret, even to a certain degree.Sure, leaks can generate early excitement and anticipation among consumers, giving them a glimpse of new features, designs, and innovations before official announcements. These leaks often help build buzz around a device, spark discussions across tech communities, and allow buyers to make more informed decisions based on unofficial previews.On the downside, smartphone leaks can spoil the excitement of official product launches. When key details like design, specs, or unique features are revealed early, the sense of surprise and anticipation often fades by the time the company holds its official unveiling. I guess I miss the days of The Big Reveal: nowadays, launches may feel underwhelming because most of the details are already known.
Remember the Pixel 9a? | Image credit – PhoneArena Come on, the above is just a pipe dream, nothing more. It's 2025 and we're talking about Google here – a company that's notoriously bad at keeping things secret. Leaks for upcoming Pixel phones (and Google devices as a whole) come left and right, up and down, for months ahead and we know virtually all there is to know about a given gadget. Or, maybe, Google wants it that way – after all, teasing is (in the form of leaks) a successful way to draw attention.
For example, the Pixel 9a – a wonderful mid-ranger that dropped in the spring of 2025 – started leaking as early as August 2024. After a couple of months, we knew everything about it.
Did those leaks hurt the Pixel 9a in any way, in the end? I don't think so.
It's just that… a tad more secrecy would be really alluring. You know, sometimes a piece of clothing can set the imagination on fire like no nakedness can ever do.