As I was watching the Made by Google event yesterday (August 20), I couldn’t help but notice that Rick Osterloh, Google’s senior VP of platforms and devices, made a not-so-subtle dig at Apple. When discussing the state of AI on phones with host Jimmy Fallon, Osterloh noted that there’s been “a lot of broken promises.” Ahem.
He’s referring, of course, to Apple’s long-delayed new version of Siri. You know, the one that’s supposed to be more personal, more contextual and let you voice control your apps. That’s not coming until 2026.
Meanwhile, Google is already there (and then some) with Gemini on the Pixel 10. And it just unveiled a dizzying array of AI features that put Apple to shame. For both Apple and Google to remain relevant in the OpenAI era, I'd argue that they need to come together and combine their strengths — hardware and AI — with a partnership (not a merger). Or they could both be left behind.
The AI Magic Apple is Missing...and Why Google Needs Apple
Some of my favorite new AI features coming to Google phones include Ask Photos. You can just tell your phone (or type) what changes you want to see in your images and — presto! — the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro Fold will just do it for you.
Another AI wow comes in the form of Magic Cue. No more jumping between apps to get the info you need. If you call to change your plane reservation, the flight info will pop right up on the call screen. Or if someone asks you to share photos from your recent hiking trip, a button will show up in your chat and take you right to them.
Apple doesn’t have anything like these features in iOS 26, and I doubt anything this impressive will be coming with the iPhone 17 lineup. Although I hear we’re getting a bigger camera bar on the iPhone 17 Pro and a super skinny iPhone 17 Air!
The problem for Google is that its phone market share is tiny — like really tiny. In July Canalys reported that the Pixel’s market share was a whopping 3% in the U.S. And that’s a 13% increase year over year.
Part of the issue is that Google’s hardware prowess is nowhere near as good as its software smarts. Just take a look at the new Pixel 10 Pro Fold. It’s super smart and achieves IP68 water and dust resistance. But it’s way chunkier than the new Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Apple is better at industrial design, and I can guarantee you that the iPhone Fold hardware will be superior should it arrive next year as expected.
So while this may sound insane, I think Apple and Google should team up. And I’m serious when I say that it could be a matter of survival.
The OpenAI Threat
Looming on the horizon for both Google and Apple is OpenAI, which is teasing its first hardware device that’s expected to launch this year. It’s not going to be a phone, but when you have 800 million weekly users of ChatGPT — and that new device is being designed by none other than famed ex-iPhone designer Jony Ive — there’s serious cause for concern.
When you have 800 million weekly users of ChatGPT — and your new device is being designed by none other than famed ex-iPhone designer Jony Ive — there’s serious cause for concern.
To be fair, the new GPT-5 has seen some backlash, so Sam Altman is human after all. But it is indeed a powerful model and blew away Gemini in our GPT-5 vs Gemini face-off. OpenAI has become synonymous with AI, and Google is playing serious catch-up.
One recent report says that ChatGPT’s market share is 60% among AI chatbots, compared to just 13.5% for Gemini. Apple isn’t even on the list.
For Apple’s part, there’s been reports that Tim Cook is willing to spend big to partner to acquire AI technology or companies to jumpstart its efforts, and names like Perplexity and Claude have been floated. But I feel like Apple’s best bet is to latch on to Gemini right now before it’s too late.
What’s the solution?
So what would that mean? The U.S. Federal Trade Commission would never approve a merger like this between two giants. It would become an instant monopoly.
But I do think Apple should form a strategic partnership with Google so that iPhone users could take full advantage of Gemini and all of Google’s other AI features. Yes, Google has come under scrutiny by the Justice Department for the billions it’s been paying Apple to make Google the default search engine on iPhones. But this would not be a one-way or even an exclusive deal, necessarily.
What I’m envisioning here would give Google more access to Apple’s services and break down the walled garden. Maybe in exchange for access to Gemini and other AI goodies on the iPhone, Android phones could gain access to iMessage, iCloud, AirDrop and more. Maybe AirPods could magically pair with Pixel phones and other Android phones.
And Apple could possibly open things up so that iPhone users could replace Siri with other AI assistants so it didn’t look as though this was an exclusive arrangement. Let alternatives like Claude and Perplexity in, too, along with Gemini. Right now, Siri works with ChatGPT, and you can argue that it only does cool things when it invokes OpenAI’s assistant.
Outlook: The existential threat
It might not seem like it right now, but Google and Apple face existential threats. Apple is losing market share to the likes of Samsung, which is pushing harder into foldable phones. And there’s a very real risk of the smartphone itself becoming less relevant at the hands of new devices like smart glasses and whatever OpenAI is cooking up with Ive.
And Google is just not great at hardware (sorry!), as a whole generation of people turns to ChatGPT first instead of search engines. And imagine how much better a pair of Apple glasses would sell with Gemini inside than whatever Google is developing right now.
So Apple and Google — both long-term enemies — need to become friends. Fast. Or it could be game over for them both.
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