Google Sells New Phones by Blaming the Tech Addiction It Helped Create

Google is leveraging our poor relationship with technology to sell its new phones — a relationship it had a hand in creating. ZDNET's key takeaways: Google claims it wants to change your relationship with technology. A dominant theme at its Made by Google event was using its phones less to 'be more present.

It's using this idea to sell agentic AI, I argue. Google wants you to use your phone less. Yes, that new device that Trevor Noah, Peggy Gou, Stephen Gerrard, and Pinkpantheress promoted at its Made by Google event — it wants you to put it down to be more present.

Google's VP Rick Osterloh got on stage to talk to Trevor Noah about how his phone is just too distracting, and how he'd love to put it away. Hmm, I wonder if there are a few companies we can blame for that. Are they in the room with us?

Also: Every Pixel device announced at Made by Google 2026: 11 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 5, and more. 'Your phones can do so much, but getting all that done today requires you to do all the work, all the tapping, and scrolling, Osterloh said to Noah to kick off the show. It's a fair point.