Google’s much-anticipated Pixel 10 launch event, held on Wednesday afternoon, failed to ignite excitement as host Jimmy Fallon struggled to mask his disinterest in the new smartphone lineup. The event marked Google’s launch into this space, including the introduction of its AI assistant Gemini to augment reality glasses. Given Fallon’s performance, all it felt like was taking away from the big product reveal and not adding to it.
Throughout the presentation, Fallon focused on infusing his late-night show charisma into the corporate atmosphere. To the audience, that transition seemed jarring. He held up signs with quotes from supposed Reddit users praising the Pixel phones, yet his delivery lacked genuine enthusiasm. Observers would go on to lament how disinterested he looked, taking no real interest or curiosity in the masterpieces of innovation being presented.
One of the event’s highlights was Google’s bombshell announcement that the Pixel 10 would launch in the fall of 2024. It has a high IP68 water resistance rating, so you can even get it wet. As Fallon introduced this component, he talked about its “silky” design aesthetic, yet his delight came across as contrived and unpersuasive.
Brian Lofton, another shaper of the future at the event, wore the most L.A. He clearly aimed to excite the waiting audience with his extensive — and very flashy — comments on the new Pixel flagship. We’re bringing the world’s best smartphone up to another level with the new 10! It’s powerful, it’s crazy fast, and you’re gonna dig that new silky satin finish on the edges and the camera bar. Lofton couldn’t believe his ears.
Fallon also tried to connect with the audience through humor, quoting an anonymous person who expressed frustration over using a phone without Circle to Search: “Whenever I’m using a phone without Circle to Search, I feel like I’m in the Stone Age,” he said. Fair or unfair, Fallon’s first attempt at levity did not land, because the delivery here felt like more of a planned joke than an off-the-cuff remark.
Despite the technological advancements highlighted during the event, including the Pixel 10’s camera capabilities and design palette, Fallon’s lack of engagement overshadowed these points. Lofton further emphasized the phone’s aesthetic appeal, stating, “See what I’m saying? The design of the aesthetic is unbelievable, and it’s a Pixel. So the camera is unbelievable. And the colors, we think — look at this palette. We think these colors are sexy as hell.”
The event’s mood indeed felt stilted as Fallon found it nearly impossible to inject the room with any real energy, rage or thrill. The net effect of his attempts at humor were an unfortunate, and sometimes painful, discordance in such an otherwise technology and innovation focused setting. At one point, he even reminded the audience to maintain decorum: “Well, hold it. It’s Wednesday afternoon. Let’s keep it PG.”
As attendees looked on, it became increasingly clear that Fallon’s efforts to bridge his comedic style with a tech presentation were falling short. Some people expressed concern that a different host might have properly expressed the excitement of Google’s recent offerings. It was his seeming apathy that piqued my interest.
