Google’s new Pixel 10 ads made me go ‘wait, WHAT are they trying to sell?’

Lying in the service of the perfect vacation

The first of the new spots, titled **"With 100x Zoom"**, hits a sensitive spot for every tourist: disappointment with a vacation rental offer. The scenario is simple – a room rental company stretches the truth, promising a breathtaking view that, in reality, turns out to be miles away. However, instead of condemning the landlord's dishonesty, Google proposes a solution: answer a lie with a lie. Thanks to the **100x Zoom** feature in the **Pixel 10 Pro** and **Pixel 10 Pro XL** models, the user can zoom in on a distant landscape so much that it looks in the photo as if it were right outside the window. The YouTube video description leaves no illusions about the manufacturer's intentions: even if the promised view is miles away, now you can "zoom" your way to a photograph that makes it look like you were right there. This is a fascinating yet disturbing direction in which technology, instead of documenting our experiences, serves to fabricate a better version of them for friends and family.

However, it is worth paying attention to the fine print that appears in the advertisement. Google openly admits that the presented sequences are "simulated" and serve purely illustrative purposes. Furthermore, "additional equipment" was used to achieve the effects shown, which calls into question the authenticity of the phone's capabilities in the hands of the average user. This is a classic paradox of modern mobile photography: we sell you a tool to create "truth," but our advertisement of that truth is faked.

A voice from beyond the grave of an old smartphone

The second advertisement, titled **"Moving on"**, hits completely different, much darker notes. The 30-second spot is conducted from the perspective of... an abandoned phone. While it was likely intended to be funny or nostalgic, the end result resembles the monologues of Joe Goldberg from the series "You." The way the male voice describes the relationship with the owner evokes associations with an obsessive stalker rather than a discarded gadget. The ad script is a textbook example of a stalking-type narrative: "From the moment we met, we went everywhere together. I thought I was your world. But then you felt like I didn't understand you anymore. And you started flirting with the idea of something new." When we hear in the finale: "You wanted someone smarter... I'm still trying to process it," it's hard not to get the impression that Google accidentally created an AI-stalker character who watches every step of its former user.

Artificial Intelligence rewrites the internet and our memories

Google's actions are part of a broader trend where AI ceases to be just an assistant and becomes a tool for completely redefining content. In the Pixel 10 series, generative artificial intelligence has been implemented directly into the camera app, allowing for manipulations we could previously only dream of (or fear). While task automation by Gemini is still sometimes slow and clunky, in the visual sphere, Google is going all out.

• Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL offer advanced zoom features that require additional hardware support for full demonstration.
• The advertising narrative is shifting from "capturing moments" toward "creating desired narratives."
• AI personalization through Gemini is becoming the standard, as seen in the aggressive campaign promoting "smarter" devices.

The problem with such a strategy is that it undermines trust in the digital image as such. If a phone manufacturer encourages us to lie to our loved ones using technology, where does creativity end and simple deception begin? Google seems to ignore these dilemmas, prioritizing the "wow" effect and technological advantage over competitors, such as the upcoming Galaxy S26, which is already being called a "photographic nightmare" in industry circles due to excessive image processing.

A new era of digital insincerity

In my opinion, Google's new ads are a symptom of a deeper identity crisis for tech brands in the AI era. For years, smartphones were a window to the world; now they are becoming a filter designed to beautify that world, even at the cost of the truth. Promoting 100x Zoom as a tool to hide the inconveniences of a vacation location is a signal that tech giants have stopped believing in the value of authenticity. Instead of building a bond with the user through real benefits, Google serves us a creepy narrative about a jealous smartphone and a tutorial on image manipulation. In a world where AI can do almost anything, the biggest challenge for Google will not be refining algorithms, but finding an ethical compass that prevents them from creating campaigns that evoke a shiver of embarrassment in the audience instead of a desire to buy. The Pixel 10 is a powerful tool, but the way it is being sold suggests that Google is increasingly losing touch with how real people want to use technology in their daily lives.