Made by Google showcase recap – meet the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4 and more

August 20th’s Made by Google showcase was an unexpectedly star-studded affair with TV’s Jimmy Fallon hosting the event… with all the oddities that entailed.

Alongside taking a few cheeky swings at Apple, Google revealed a host of refreshed Pixel products, which we had time to take for an initial spin: check out our hands-on Google Pixel 10 review, hands-on Google Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL review, hands-on Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review, hands-on Google Pixel Watch 4 review… and finally, our ears-and-hands-on Google Pixel Buds 2a review.

There’s more to chew over here so for a blow-by-blow recap of the showcase, along with the key information you need to know, read on.

What you need to know from the Made by Google showcase

• 13 things we saw at the wild Google Pixel 10 launch – including the best Pixel phones yet
• Not a drill – Google finally brings MagSafe-style accessories to Android with Pixelsnap
• The Google Pixel Watch 4 is here – these are the 4 new features I’m most excited about
• Google Pixel 10 lineup – 5 key upgrades including Pixelsnap, Tensor G5, and Camera Coach
• Google Pixel Buds 2a are official, bringing noise cancellation and Gemini AI to your ears for a low price – and Pixel Buds Pro 2 get some great free upgrades too
• Jimmy Fallon hosted the Made By Google event live, along with a host of famous guests
• Hands on: Google Pixel 10 review
• Hands on: Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review
• Hands on: Google Pixel Watch 4 review
• Hate your smartphone photos? Google’s Pixel 10 could have your back – here’s how
• Google Pixel 10 preorders are live – I’ve found all the best deals, including free phones and huge trade-in discounts
• Check out our TechRadar TikTok for videos from Made by Google

Good morning. Managing Editor of Mobile Computing Roland Moore-Colyer here to take you through the run up to the Made by Google event.

If all the rumors I’ve seen so far prove to be true, then we could be looking at a big showcase for Google later on today, with new phones, a new Pixel Watch and new earbuds.

And I’ll buy a hat and eat it if Google doesn’t spend a good amount of time discussing what it’s been doing on the AI side for its Pixel devices.

Expect to see four new Pixel phones today: the Google Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. This will be a refresh of the whole main Google Pixel phone lineup.

Don’t expect any drastic design changes, at least going by the rumors, but I do expect to see new Tensor chips, perhaps some improvements on the camera side such as new sensors, and a big injection of AI software upgrades.

Going by a rather last-minute rumor, it looks like magnetic accessories will be a big part of the Pixel 10 lineup, with an Apple MagSafe-style system facilitating a magnetic charging stand for the phones.

I currently use a Pixel Stand from 2021 to charge my phones that support wireless charging, so an upgrade here would be much appreciated, especially if it enables a wider range of accessories ot be used with the new Pixel phones.

One thing that’s will be new, is the Made by Google event will be hosted by TV’s Jimmy Fallon, which is unusual for Google as it tends to use its own executives and marketing folks to spearhead the showcases.

Check out the teaser video below…

I’m not sure what secret Jimmy could be referring to… maybe it’ll be some new AI tool or assistant, or maybe something to do with mixed reality. So far there have been scant rumors on any big surprises from the Google event.

A big last-minute leak!

We’ve just got another last-minute Pixel 10 leak, with it pointing towards an eSIM only approach by Google for its new phones, and new AI features tipped.

And a promo clip has been shared too.

But there’s more too, with serial tipster Evan Blass seemingly leaking the pricing for all the Pixel devices we expect to see.

The standard Pixel 10 seems to be missing from that price leak, but we expect it to come in around the same price as the Google Pixel 9.

And overall, those prices look reasonable for a flagship range of phones.

Some people might baulk at the idea of paying iPhone 16 Pro and Galaxy S25 Plus prices for phones with Tensor chips in them. But I feel AI performance, rather than raw silicon horsepower, will be the key to these Pixel phones.

In fact, I’ve already touted how I think the Pixel 10 needs to bring more AI stuff to the table to keep at the top of the AI phones pile.

To quote myself: „with the Samsung Galaxy S25 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 landing with improved AI features, and Apple Intelligence starting to get up to speed and offer a solid suite of features on compatible iPhones, as well as some synchronicity with Macs, Google’s AI phone crown could be up for grabs.

„So I feel that for Google to keep ahead and continue to blaze a trail for practical, and hopefully safe, consumer use, it’ll need to bring more to the table with the Pixel 10.“

Don’t expect major hardware changes

As I’ve mentioned before, a lot of the rumors and claimed leaks so far have all pointed at the Pixel 10 lineup being a minor evolution on its predecessors, rather than bringing in any dramatic upgrades.

For me, that’s kinda fine, as the Pixel 9 phones are so good, I don’t think I’d appreciate Google messing with a winning formula quite yet.

One rumor did hint at the standard Google Pixel 10 going for a triple rear-camera system, adding a telephoto snapper into the mix. I’ve already written how I’d be a fan of that and how it could tackle the looming phone threat of the iPhone 17.

But I’m not really all that convince Google will do that, especially given the price leaks, which would suggest Google will still keep the telephoto camera for the Pro Pixels.

The same can be said for the Google Pixel Watch 4 which looks a lot like its predecessors.

Not a bad thing in my opinion as I’ve always like the design of Google’s smartwatch, But I do hope its got snappier performance and a host of AI features to make it feel like an ‚AI smartwatch‘.

I expect boosts in the sensor and performance capabilities on the Pixel Watch 4 could make it a lot more appealing than its rumored design might tip.

On the Pixel Buds 2a side, the rumors so far point towards an evolved design, more power, new features like head tracking, and better sound isolation.

In terms of hardware upgrades, they could offer the biggest leaps out of all the products Google is set to reveal today.

However, the Pixel Buds 2a could bring with them a price hike: where the Pixel Buds A came in at €99, the Buds 2a will supposedly be €149. That’s a hefty price increase and if it’s reflected in other markets would mean $149 / £149 / AU$195.

So you might ask, what Pixel device am I most looking forwards to?

Even if you didn’t I’m still going to ponder that question. I tend to like the Pixel Pro phones, with the Pixel 9 Pro offering a neat blend of specs and AI smart all in a decently compact package. So the Pixel 10 Pro is sure to appeal to me.

But I’m also curious to see what Google does with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which will be the search giant’s third stab at a foldable phone. I hope AI is employed to make that extra screen space a lot more usable and helps make the folding phone a productivity powerhouse.

Now over to my Phones Editor Axel Metz, who I’ve tapped up for what he’s looking forward to from Google today:

„It feels wrong to say that an accessory announcement is my most anticipated reveal at today’s Made by Google showcase, but the Pixel 10 series potentially getting its own MagSafe-style technology is a bigger deal than it sounds. We love Google phones for their clean software, but true Qi2 charging support would give Pixels rare hardware edge over Android competitors.“

Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff, just pointed out a suite of things he recalls older Pixel phones sporting.

He detailed the rear fingerprint reader, how the Google Assistant was front and center to the Pixel experience, how good the cameras were, and how some people shrugged at the design.

So the Pixel phones have evolved a lot since then, but I feel they always tried to put smart features front-and-center, which means their evolution into AI phones seemed logical.

I also reckon Pixel phones have consistently delivered on impressive cameras, although Samsung and Apple have certainly caught up and often surpassed Google.

I do miss the innovation that Google used to bring to the Pixel phones, such as the radar sensor found in the Google Pixel 4, and the squeezable sides of the Pixel 3 series.

I also think the rear fingerprint scanner was also rather neat. But each to their own when it comes to smartphone preferences.

I should say I always rather liked the older Pixel phone design. I liked the simple, utilitarian look of them. But I do think the design language introduced with the Pixel 6 and then iterated on has been my favourite so far.

Back to the Pixel 10, and we’ve already seen early benchmarks of the phones, but as Senior Editor Philip Berne points out, they don’t really matter.

„Pixel phones can do everything Google says they can do, unlike some faster phone makers. I’m still waiting for the promised AI features from Apple and Samsung, but I don’t remember Google overpromising Gemini’s ability to make career decisions for me (Siri) or turn out the lights when it detects I’m asleep (Bixby),“ Berne said, pontificating on the benchmarks.

As Phil notes, a focus on AI is what all the Pixel phones are about, and I’m hoping we’ll see Google go hard on AI today.

After Apple fumbled the ball a bit with Apple Intelligence, and Samsung hasn’t made Galaxy AI as neatly integrated into its phones experience as I’d like, I think Google has a clear opportunity to really set the standard here.

Not seeing much on the last-minute leaks front, so I suspect things could be quiet until the main show.

Over to our Senior Editor of AI, Graham Barlow, with what he’d like to see from Google on the AI side today:

„As a regular Gemini user I’m looking for some improvements to my favorite parts of Gemini which make use of any hardware improvements that the new Pixel 10 phones may have. Simply put, the faster and more powerful the phone, the more you can do with AI. Improved speed and smoothness in AI generated responses would be top of my list.“

As an aside, don’t expect to hear anything about Google Nest today or Home updates, as there’s been no hint from Google or outside of it that there’ll be any new feature drops or updated for its home-centric tech.

Just a bit over an hour until show time

Hello there, Jacob Krol, TechRadar’s Managing Editor for News in the US, stepping in to continue our Made by Google 2025 live blog festivities. While we’re still waiting for the official stream to kick off on Google’s YouTube channel, we have about an hour and ten minutes to go until the event kicks off.

We’ll have two of my colleagues – Lance Ulanoff and Philip Berne – on the ground at the event in Brooklyn, NY, and it’s looking to be a star-studded event. Stick with us!

Google’s just made its next-gen devices official

Well, we still have about an hour to go until the official Made by Google event kicks off, but Google’s just made its next-generation devices official. The Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, Pixel 10 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel Buds 2a all just entered the room.

And TechRadar’s Editor-at-Large Lance Ulanoff has his early impressions of Google’s latest foldable for your reading pleasure here, or in the video below. One of the significant changes with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is that it ushers in some mighty durability chops and keeps a working design from the 9 Pro Fold.

There is a lot more to unpack, including the Tensor G5 chip, which also powers the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL, new on-device AI features, and upgrades to the Camera courtesy of some software tricks.

Our early Pixel 10 Pro thoughts – the best Pixels yet?

Last year, we crowned the Pixel 9 Pro as our 2024 Phone of the Year – and as our hands-on Pixel 10 Pro review concludes, it could be an equally strong successor.

Our US Mobiles Editor Philip Berne has spent a few hours with both the 10 Pro and Pro XL and says “they look like the best Pixel phones yet”. He was particularly impressed by the arrival of Pixelsnap (Google’s answer to Apple’s MagSafe), but also the promising camera improvements – most notably, a new 5x telephoto lens and the prospect of 100x Pro Res zoom.

We’ll need to spend a little more time living with the new AI features like Magic Cue. But even if the Pixel 10 Pro is more a refinement than a big leap, it’s still shaping up to be a very compelling flagship phone.

Read more: Hands-on Google Pixel 10 Pro review

Now, we’ll take a quick break from our early thoughts on the rest of the lineup – Pixel 10, Pixel Watch 4, and Pixel Buds 2a – to give you a glimpse at what the event space looks like.

TechRadar’s Lance Ulanoff and Philip Berne are on the ground in Brooklyn, encountering some good-looking food – a staple for tech events – and a big screen with some seats.

Pixel 10 impressions – this year’s biggest Pixel upgrade

We haven’t spent long with the base Google Pixel 10, but we’ve already seen enough to conclude that it’s this year’s most-improved Pixel phone. Thanks to a new 5x telephoto zoom lens, magnetic Pixelsnap charging and the same cool design we saw last year, it’s now a true rival to the iPhone 16.

The standout feature is that 5x zoom camera, which puts it a cut above the iPhone 16 (which has no optical zoom) and Galaxy S25 (3x zoom), in terms of optical reach at least. If that lens combines well with the Pixel 10’s new Tensor G5 chip and image processor, it should take Google’s base model to new photographic heights.

We’ll need to spend more time with the AI features (the likes of Camera Coach and Magic Cue weren’t available on our early devices), and the Tensor G5 likely won’t set the benchmark tests ablaze. But as an overall package, the Pixel 10 is a very promising phone indeed.

Read more: Hands-on Google Pixel 10 review

We’re just about five minutes from the actual Made by Google event kicking off, and you can watch it live in the video block above and follow along with our live reporting below.

As far as what’s going on at the venue, a person is hyping up the crowd and giving out swag to those lucky to be in attendance. We’ll have to see if Lance and Phil walk away with some. But you can bet we’ll be hearing more about the Pixel 10 family, the Pixel Watch 4, and the Pixel Buds 2a shortly … likely from Jimmy Fallon.

Made by Google kicks off with Jimmy Fallon

And Made by Google is kicking off with a teaser showing how far the Pixel lineup has come, starting with Pixel 1 all the way through – you guessed it – Pixel 10. And now Google’s giving us its trend on TikTok style of passing the phone, starting with Alex Cooper – of Call Her Daddy fame – with other celebrities, a fire-breathing dragon, an actual GOAT, and ending with Jimmy Fallon. These digital creations were made with Google’s own Veo tech.

Much like a live show for a late-night show, Jimmy Fallon is taking the stage to applause. He dubbed this event a ‚Taylor Swift album announcement for nerds‘ and that we’re celebrating the tenth Google Pixel.

Now, after listing off a bunch of celebrities who are in attendance to help unpack the Google Pixel 10, Jimmy’s welcomed Rick Osterloh, who leads devices at Google. It’s now a sit-down interview format, with the two unpacking what’s to come. Osterloh is dubbing this a ‚game-changing launch event.“

We have our first mention of glasses with Gemini, which Google teased and announced several partners with at Google I/O 2025. That doesn’t mean we’ll see a pair of made-by-Google glasses today, as the conversation between Jimmy and Rick has shifted back to Gemini and Google’s vision for it on its own devices.

Jimmy is also highlighting some consumers who own Pixel devices through posts on Reddit. It’s a way to highlight some features, starting off with ‚Circle to Search‘ – Jimmy says he’s used it quite a bit.

To help you make the most of Google’s AI feature suite – Notebook LM, Gemini, and Veo included – those who purchase a Pixel 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, or 10 Pro Fold will get a year of Google AI Pro at no additional cost.

Rick also showed off a fun demo of Veo animating his family dog, which shared that it wants more treats. As someone with a Bernedoodle at home, I think my pup would agree.

One thing to note – while the conversation with Jimmy and Rick is live, these demos appear to be pre-recorded. It’s likely easier than a live demo, especially when it features celebrities and famous athletes. Right now, we’re getting a quick dive into Gemini Live, which is especially neat on the Pixel 10.

Adrienne Lofton, VP of Consumer Marketing at Google, is now on stage with Jimmy Fallon in front of a table filled with the entire new Pixel family of devices. Eye spy the Pixel 10 in the Indigio shade – which is a nod to the first ever Pixel – as well as the 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL, and even the Pixel Watch 4.

We’re now getting a closer look at the features of the Pixel 10 lineup, specifically on the Pixel 10 Pro and its ProRes Zoom functionality. The demo here is zooming in on a car from a very far-away capture point. We’re keen to put this to the test, but it’s impressive, utilizing an LLM on the device to aid in upscaling and creation.

Throughout all of this, Google is also throwing plenty of shade at Apple and its products, most notably the iPhone.

Jimmy Fallon is pretty darn excited about PixelSnap, but he also has some concerns about saying the „A word“ … Apple. We tested it, and Google even confirmed moments ago, but PixelSnap does work with Apple MagSafe Accessories.

Now, Jimmy Fallon is promising some live demos and is being joined by a few ‚Googlers‘! We’re starting off with a demo of Magic Cue, which can intelligently surface information.

So in this example, if you get a text asking when you arrive in the Bay Area, it can surface your flight info and your calendar. This is pretty neat to see in action and really highlights how Google’s AI chops are embedded directly into the phone and integrated throughout.

Alex Cooper just gave us a live demo of Camera Coach with Jimmy Fallon as the subject. This is a new built-in helper that can guide you through taking a shot. It’ll recommend the right mode, different angles, and even if you need to adjust the lighting.

Now, Photographer Andre D Wagner is walking through some photos he captured using the Pixel 10 Pro XL. Many of these were taken in Washington Square Park in New York City.

Of course, there was also a comparison with the iPhone 16 Pro, specifically, low-light performance.

While the Jonas Brothers aren’t live at the event – at least as of yet – the three brothers did shoot a music video in New York City on a Google Pixel 10 Pro for a new track, and we’re getting a highlight reel of this process right now.

To test the Pixel’s camera, there are scenes during the day and at night in lower-lighting conditions.

Pixel 10 can translate your voice in real time on calls

One of the neatest exclusive features of Pixel is Live Translate on calls. With this, it can automatically translate your voice to a specific language, and it sounds pretty darn close to the original speaker, including inflections.

I saw a demo of this with Lance Ulanoff, TechRadar’s Editor-at-Large, with his voice being translated to Spanish, and on stage at Made By Google, Jimmy Fallon demoed this live as well.

It’s certainly impressive, and I think this will be a big hit among users, which might inspire other companies, such as Apple or Google, to work on this tech as well.

Moving onto the Pixel Watch 4

If you’ve been wondering when Google was going to move onto the Pixel Watch 4, the time is now. Cody Rigsby, a Peloton instructor, is on stage now talking about the ‚Morning Brief‘ feature and the ‚readiness score‘ element that the Pixel Watch will deliver.

This feature was available on the Pixel Watch 3, and it remains a highlight of the experience on the fourth-generation as well. Within the Fitbit app, new content from Peloton instructors – including Cody Rigsby – is arriving this Fall (think September or October).

I had the opportunity to spend some time with the new Pixel Watch 4, and beyond its health features, there are two other major upgrades. It features a new, physically curved, domed display that expands the actual screen area. Additionally, thanks to a redesign of the build, the battery and screen are now user-replaceable. That’s a huge step, and you can see my early hands-on with the Pixel Watch 4 here.

Rick and Jimmy are back

We’re nearing the end of Made by Google with Jimmy Fallon and Rick Osterloh now on stage. It’s definitely wrap-up time, but the pair is announcing that Stephen Curry is now the performance advisor for Google. Rolling now is a quick video of Curry’s ‚interview‘ for the job at Google.

Then we had a special, live guest, Nick Jonas, to roll the music video the band shot on the Pixel 10 Pro.

And that’s a wrap

With the music video premiere, that’s a wrap on Made by Google 2025. There’s a lot to unpack here, and we’ll be doing just that both remotely and with our colleagues on the ground at the event in Brooklyn.

For now, though, here are some quick links to our early hands-on with the latest and greatest from Pixel:

• Hands on: The Pixel 10 may look the same as before, but what’s inside will change Android forever
• Hands on: Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold isn’t a reinvention, but two major upgrades make it a foldable worth considering
• The Google Pixel Watch 4 might look similar to its predecessor, but the changes under the hood could make a big difference