Google has released a new ad that takes a friendly jab at Apple over the rumoured redesign of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. The ad is part of Google’s ongoing campaign where a Pixel phone and an iPhone talk like old friends. This time, the Pixel teases the iPhone about its new camera design.
Apple copying Google?
Leaks suggest the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will get a new rear camera layout that stretches across the back like a bar. The iPhone 17 Air will also get a camera bar, but it will have only one lens. The base model iPhone 17 is expected to keep its current design.
Google clearly sees this as Apple copying its long-standing Pixel camera bar. In the ad, the Pixel says Apple is borrowing ideas again. The Pixel brings up other examples, too. It reminds the iPhone of how Google had Night Sight before Apple released Night Mode. It also talks about Magic Eraser, which Apple later followed with a similar Cleanup tool. And of course, widgets—Android had them for years before Apple added them to iPhones.
It’s all meant to be funny, and the tone of the ad is light-hearted. But the message is clear: Google believes Apple is late to the party when it comes to some smartphone features.
Looks more like old Poco phones
That said, the new iPhone 17 camera design may not look exactly like the Pixel’s. In fact, some people think it’s more like older Poco phones, which also had a long bar-like camera. Still, Google is the one calling it out.
The ad hasn’t gone viral yet, but fans of both brands are already talking about it online. Some think Google is right to highlight the similarities. Others believe it’s just part of how tech evolves—every company borrows ideas at some point.
Google has used this talking-Pixel format in many of its recent ads. Some people find them fun, while others think they’re a bit silly. This one seems to land somewhere in the middle. It’s not the funniest, but it gets the point across.
With the iPhone 17 lineup expected later this year, we’ll have to wait and see what the final camera designs look like. Until then, the friendly rivalry between Pixel and iPhone continues.
What do you think? Is Apple copying Google, or just doing its own thing?