Google’s new Pixel 10 ads made me go ‘Wait, WHAT are they trying to sell?’ | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Google’s new Pixel 10 ads made me go ‘Wait, WHAT are they trying to sell?’Comments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AINewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsGoogle’s new Pixel 10 ads made me go ‘Wait, WHAT are they trying to sell?’I keep hearing the second one in the voice of Joe from You.I keep hearing the second one in the voice of Joe from You.by Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterMar 23, 2026, 7:49 PM UTCLinkShareGiftImage: GooglePart OfFrom ChatGPT to Gemini: how AI is rewriting the internetsee all updates Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.Ever watch a TV ad and wonder, “How did this get approved?” Today, Google has not one but two new ad spots for its six-month-old Pixel 10 phones, and… let’s just say they may not come across as intended.First, there’s “With 100x Zoom,” an ad that appears to suggest that if a vacation rental company lies to you about the view from your hotel room, you should lie to all your friends and family, too! Take a watch below:The YouTube description makes Google’s intent fairly clear: “So even if that breathtaking view you were promised turns out to be miles away, now you can zoom your way to a photo that makes it look like you were right there.”And while we’re on the topic of possibly faking things, Google’s ad admits that what you’re seeing is “simulated,” “for illustrative purposes,” and that “additional hardware” was used.Screens simulated and sequences shortened. UI for illustrative purposes. Only available on Pixel 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL. Additional hardware used. Image: GoogleNext up, there’s “Moving on,” a 30-second spot which is supposed to be from the perspective of… a jilted phone, I guess?For me, it was all a bit confusing… until I started imagining myself hearing those same words in the voice of You’s Penn Badgley.Here, I’ve copied out the script:From the moment we met, we went everywhere together.Nights out, vacations, everywhere.I thought I was your world.But then you felt I didn’t get you anymore.And you started flirting with the idea of something new.Now, you’re glowing again.You find what you’re drawn to.You’re even showing off to all your friends.You wanted smarter… I’m still trying to process that.Is the disembodied male voice in Google’s ad really “moving on”? Or is it an AI-powered Joe Goldberg watching this woman through her phone?RelatedGoogle pulls Gemini AI ad from Olympics after backlashRelatedThe newest Pixels put generative AI right inside the cameraRelatedGemini task automation is slow, clunky, and super impressiveRelatedThe Galaxy S26 is a photography nightmareFollow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterAICloseAIPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All AIGoogleCloseGooglePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GoogleMobileCloseMobilePosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MobileNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMore in: From ChatGPT to Gemini: how AI is rewriting the internetNow everyone in the US is getting Google’s personalized Gemini AIStevie BonifieldMar 17One of Grammarly’s ‘experts’ is suing the company over its identity-stealing AI featureStevie BonifieldMar 11Grammarly says it will stop using AI to clone experts without permissionStevie BonifieldMar 11Most PopularMost PopularNvidia CEO Jensen Huang says ‘I think we’ve achieved AGI’Confronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated meVideoThe US government just banned consumer routers made outside the USThe improved battery-powered Starlink Mini is hereGemini task automation is slow, clunky, and super impressiveThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Google’s recent advertising campaign for the Pixel 10 smartphones has sparked considerable confusion and, frankly, a degree of unsettling commentary, as highlighted by a piece in *The Verge* by Sean Hollister. The core of the issue stems from two distinct advertisements that appear to convey significantly different messages, leading to a fragmented and potentially misleading impression of the device’s capabilities. The first ad, titled “With 100x Zoom,” presents a scenario involving a vacation rental company deceptively manipulating photographs to enhance their properties. The advertisement directly acknowledges its simulated nature, explicitly stating that it’s “for illustrative purposes” and employs additional hardware to achieve the exaggerated zoom levels. This tactic immediately raises questions about the phone's ability to accurately represent reality, setting a concerning foundation for potential deceptive use. The inclusion of screens simulated and sequences shortened further suggests a deliberate attempt to create a visually impressive, yet ultimately fabricated, experience.

The second ad, dubbed “Moving on,” employs a far more evocative and arguably unsettling narrative. Presented as the perspective of a jilted phone, it utilizes a distinct voice, reminiscent of Penn Badgley’s character Joe Goldberg from the television series *You*, to detail a relationship’s deterioration. The script describes a feeling of being replaced, a sense of being watched, and a manipulative attempt to re-engage the user’s attention. This ad's effectiveness isn’t based on technological features but on a deeply unsettling psychological narrative, effectively leveraging a pre-existing cultural touchstone – the archetype of the obsessive stalker – to heighten the device’s perceived allure and, simultaneously, to evoke a sense of unease.

Hollister’s commentary highlights the deliberate ambiguity and the potential for misinterpretation inherent in these ads. The fragmented messaging, combined with the acknowledgment of simulation and artificiality, creates a layer of distrust. While Google’s intention is ostensibly to showcase the camera’s technological prowess – specifically, the zoom capability – the execution, particularly with the “Moving on” ad, veers into territory that feels manipulative and potentially exploitative of consumer anxieties. The repetition of “simulated” and “for illustrative purposes” serves to underline this intention, highlighting that the viewer is being presented with a constructed reality rather than an authentic one. It’s a strategy that, despite its apparent effectiveness in capturing attention, ultimately risks alienating consumers who value transparency and genuine representation. Hollister’s observation underscores a critical question: are Google’s advertising efforts cleverly designed to generate buzz, or are they deliberately attempting to create a sense of intrigue and, perhaps, even a degree of paranoia around the Pixel 10?