GoKawiilApple's WWDC 2026 keynote touched on a number of things, from its fresh MacOS Golden Gate to new Siri AI. Honestly, it wasn't a riot of excitement, but Apple absolutely nailed one thing: It knew how to speak to real people.
Having been appalled by the tone-deaf rhetoric at Google's recent Android Show, I found Apple's approach refreshing. I'll explain.
During its Android Show, Google appeared to have lost all sense of who its customers are and which planet they live on. It talked about buying coffee tours of Costa Rica for six people, about taking vintage shopping trips to Tokyo, and it even roped in everyone's favorite down-to-Earth celebrity, Paris Hilton, who smugly smirked about turning her luxury car into her own private movie theatre.
At a time when many of us are struggling to afford life's essentials, Google's tone left a nasty taste in my mouth -- and not just because of my disgust at the rampant consumerism on display. Google, once a so-called champion of the people (Chrome has always been a free browser, and Android phones are available to suit every budget), now simply assumes that all its customers are wealthy enough to spend their time planning shopping trips and having middle-of-the-day brunch dates with friends -- who are evidently also wealthy enough not to need to work or drive their kids to preschool.
Google rolled out Paris Hilton for its event and I'm frankly gobsmacked that it thought this was a good idea. Andrew Lanxon/CNET
Apple's approach was different. It spoke to real people. The show opened with Tim Cook discussing how it was creating more developer training academies. The keynote directly addressed real concerns many (if not all) parents have about how much their kids use devices and what shady content they may access, showing how Apple's updates can help parents regain control.
One demo involved asking Siri to book tickets to a concert. Those tickets were suggested for a free event, and Siri explained how someone can enter a raffle to get one. Google's demo, by contrast, was rife with bluster as we were shown someone asking Gemini to book "floor seat" concert tickets -- always among the most expensive options for any show.
Meanwhile, Apple's Justin Titi asked Siri for help in planning a football World Cup watch party at home. Crucially, what he didn't do was ask for help buying tickets to see the final in person with him and all his mates (which, at the time of this writing, start at $7,800 on the ticket retailer SeatGeek, for reference).
Instead, it was about having a party at home, with his daughter roped in to make her cookies -- though it wasn't clear if she was on board with this idea or if the keynote would be the first she'd hear about it. He even used Siri to compare shed sizes. Sheds, for crying out loud. There's nothing unattainably luxurious about a shed. Unless it's filled to the rafters with Faberge eggs and Paris Hilton's $65,000 handbag.
Enlarge Image Google's Android Show featured a six-figure bitcoin account. But we all have one of those. Google
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