Meta, Google Hammered in Court in Sign of Rare Left-Right Unity
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Two tech giants — Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc. — were stung hard in antitrust trials in different rooms of the same federal courthouse this week. It's a reflection of rare bipartisan enthusiasm for punishing them, efforts that spanned the Trump and Biden administrations.
In proceedings in Washington, where a federal judge is weighing how to resolve Google's monopoly in search, an executive made a startling admission: that Google pays Samsung an 'enormous sum' to preinstall its Gemini AI app, even though courts have twice found those kinds of deals illegal. The revelation could give the government ammo for devising a penalty that hurts Google's position in artificial intelligence.
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Tom's Guide
5 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
The Apple vs Google war is over — they need to join forces to survive against OpenAI
As I was watching the Made by Google event yesterday (August 20), I couldn't help but notice that Rick Osterloh, Google's senior VP of platforms and devices, made a not-so-subtle dig at Apple. When discussing the state of AI on phones with host Jimmy Fallon, Osterloh noted that there's been 'a lot of broken promises.' Ahem. He's referring, of course, to Apple's long-delayed new version of Siri. You know, the one that's supposed to be more personal, more contextual and let you voice control your apps. That's not coming until 2026. Meanwhile, Google is already there (and then some) with Gemini on the Pixel 10. And it just unveiled a dizzying array of AI features that put Apple to shame. For both Apple and Google to remain relevant in the OpenAI era, I'd argue that they need to come together and combine their strengths — hardware and AI — with a partnership (not a merger). Or they could both be left behind. Some of my favorite new AI features coming to Google phones include Ask Photos. You can just tell your phone (or type) what changes you want to see in your images and — presto! — the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro Fold will just do it for you. Another AI wow comes in the form of Magic Cue. No more jumping between apps to get the info you need. If you call to change your plane reservation the info will pop right up on the call screen. Or if someone asks for you to share photos from your recent hiking trip, a button will show up in your chat and take you right to them. Apple doesn't have anything like these features in iOS 26, and I doubt anything this impressive will be coming with the iPhone 17 lineup. Although I hear we're getting a bigger camera bar on the iPhone 17 Pro and a super skinny iPhone 17 Air! The problem for Google is that its phone market share is tiny — like really tiny. In July Canalys reported that the Pixel's market share was a whopping 3% in the U.S. And that's a 13% increase year over year. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Part of the issue is that Google's hardware prowess is nowhere near as good as its software smarts. Just take a look at the new Pixel 10 Pro Fold. It's super smart and achieves IP68 water and dust resistance. But it's way chunkier than the new Galaxy Z Fold 7. Apple is better at industrial design, and I can guarantee you that the iPhone Fold hardware will be superior should it arrive next year as expected. So while this may sound insane I think Apple and Google should team up. And I'm serious when I say that it could be a matter of survival. Looming on the horizon for both Google and Apple is OpenAI, which is teasing its first hardware device that's expected to launch this year. It's not going to be a phone, but when you have 800 million weekly users of ChatGPT — and that new device is being designed by none other than famed ex-iPhone designer Jony Ive — there's serious cause for concern. When you have 800 million weekly users of ChatGPT — and your new device is being designed by none other than famed ex-iPhone designer Jony Ive — there's serious cause for concern. To be fair, the new GPT-5 has seen some backlash, so Sam Altman is human after all. But it is indeed a powerful model and blew away Gemini in our GPT-5 vs Gemini face-off. OpenAI has become synonymous with AI, and Google is playing serious catch-up. One recent report says that ChatGPT's market share is 60% among AI chatbots, compared to just 13.5% for Gemini. Apple isn't even on the list. For Apple's part there's been reports that Tim Cook is willing to spend big to partner to acquire AI technology or companies to jumpstart its efforts, and names like Perplexity and Claude have been floated. But I feel like Apple's best bet is to latch on to Gemini right now before it's too late. So what would that mean? The U.S. Federal Trade Commission would never approve a merger like this between two giants. It would become an instant monopoly. But I do think Apple should form a strategic partnership with Google so that iPhone users could take full advantage of Gemini and all of Google's other AI features. Yes, Google has come under scrutiny by the Justice Department for the billions it's been paying Apple to make Google the default search engine on iPhones. But this would not be a one-way or even an exclusive deal, necessarily. What I'm envisioning here would give Google more access to Apple's services and break down the walled garden. Maybe in exchange for access to Gemini and other AI goodies on the iPhone, Android phones could gain access to iMessage, iCloud, AirDrop and more. Maybe AirPods could magically pair with Pixel phones and other Android phones. And Apple could possibly open things up so that iPhone users could replace Siri with other AI assistants so it didn't look as though this was an exclusive arrangement. Let alternatives like Claude and Perplexity in, too, along with Gemini. Right now Siri works with ChatGPT, and you can argue that it only does cool things when it invokes OpenAI's assistant. It might not seem like it right now, but Google and Apple face existential threats. Apple is losing market share to the likes of Samsung, which is pushing harder into foldable phones. And there's a very real risk of the smartphone itself becoming less relevant at the hands of new devices like smart glasses and whatever OpenAI is cooking up with Ive. And Google is just not great at hardware (sorry!), as a whole generation of people turns to ChatGPT first instead of search engines. And imagine how much better a pair of Apple glasses would sell with Gemini inside than whatever Google is developing right now. So Apple and Google — both long-term enemies — need to become friends. Fast. Or it could be game over for them both. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Tom's Guide
5 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Google Pixel 10 Pro has a hidden display upgrade that could save you a headache
The Google Pixel 10 Pro has a number of exciting upgrades, but one that may be more important than most is a display change that could literally improve your health. That upgrade is higher pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming, the rapid flickering that OLED screens use to control their brightness. While the human eye can't pick it up, low PWM rates can cause headaches and eye strain, but Google's implemented a solution with the Pixel 10 Pro, as spotted by Android Central and teased by leaks prior to the phone's launch. A new "Adjust brightness for sensitive eyes" option can now be found in the Settings menu. Enabling this setting increases the PWM rate from 240Hz to 480Hz, according to AC's testing. Rival Android brands like OnePlus and Honor have high PWM dimming on by default, with the OnePlus 13 reaching a much higher 2,160Hz. Meanwhile, Samsung and Apple already operate at around 480Hz, leaving Google playing catch-up. Sadly, this setting is apparently not available on the Pixel 10, nor to the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's outer display. But at least the foldable does offer the enhanced PWM frequency on its inner display. Our friends at Android Central are strong advocates for increased PWM sensitivity on smartphones, and we support it, too. However, as AC's Nicholas Sutrich writes, there's a lot of room across the smartphone market for improvement. When you compare Google's optional 480Hz to OnePlus' default 2,160Hz, that's a big gap for Google to make up, but at least we're seeing progress towards that. If you want a more holistic view of what Google's new hardware is capable of, then you can check out our Pixel 10 hands-on, Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL hands-on, Pixel 10 Pro Fold hands-on and Pixel Watch 4 hands-on. And you can expect full reviews of all of these soon. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Android Authority
5 minutes ago
- Android Authority
Following Made by Google, is it time for companies to retire live smartphone launch events?
Ryan Haines / Android Authority 🗣️ This is an open thread. We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments and vote in the poll below — your take might be featured in a future roundup. So, yesterday, Google launched the Pixel 10 series. While the phones are intriguing if not spectacular, it's the livestreamed event that remained seared into my brain when I woke up this morning. The Made By Google event, which was broadcast live and hosted by talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, featured various sports stars, celebrities, and Googlers. That sounds great, right? Well, it definitely was an experience. To be fair to Google, I've had my qualms with live smartphone launch events for years, whether in attendance or watching a stream. But following Made by Google, I think now's the time to ask an important question: do we still need these live smartphone launch events? Don't want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a preferred source in Google Search to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. For those in the 'absolutely not' camp, Google's Pixel 10 embargo broke an hour before, so any keen-eyed readers would've been privy to the official news well before. The launch event showcased little we didn't already know (besides the glimpse of what could be a new Google speaker), and what wasn't already covered previously. Some may argue that Google's budget for the event could go towards more practical marketing methods. Alternatively, it could forego the entire thing and publish a prerecorded video series detailing the new features in a more grounded manner. But those in favor could suggest that the event probably wasn't designed to appeal to the majority of us Android 'nerds.' Lando Norris, Alex Cooper, Jonas Brothers, and Steph Curry fans had plenty to cheer about. Google also spent plenty of time courting iPhone users over to the Android side. Ultimately, I'm curious about where you — the consumer — stand on live smartphone events, especially as the target audience for these shindigs. Here are some more questions: Did you watch the Made by Google event? If so, what did you think of it? Do you think Google spent enough time describing and explaining the new Pixel 10 and other product features? Would you prefer it if companies announced products via prerecorded videos, press releases, partnerships with celebrities or creators, hands-on experiences from journalists, or live events with keynotes from company officials? Do you believe Google's event did an effective job of courting iPhone users over to Android? What do you think Google should do with the Pixel 11 launch? Be sure to vote in the poll below, too! What did you think of Made by Google 2025? 1226 votes It was quite good actually! 18 % It was a bit cringe, but at least it was a little different. 31 % What did I just watch?! 51 % 👇 And if you have a specific comment related to your poll choice, or want to answer any of the questions posed above, be sure to have your say in the comments below. Follow
