Google's new AirDrop feature is great for Pixel phones – but it can’t chase Apple’s tail forever

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Google's new AirDrop feature is great for Pixel phones – but it can’t chase Apple’s tail forever Opinion By Jamie Richards published 22 November 2025

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It’s officially Black Friday season – Amazon has launched its sale, deals are popping up at both US and UK retailers, and phone makers themselves are offering great discounts and trade-in offers. In the midst of all of this, Google has announced that the Pixel 10 family will now effectively support AirDrop compatibility with iPhones, with more devices to follow.

Whether this is an intentional gambit to push buyers-to-be towards the latest flagship Pixel series or just kismet timing, this announcement comes at a good time for Google. As well as being the best Pixel phones ever, the Google Pixel 10 series has been a top pick for Black Friday deals so far, with discounts for the base-model Pixel 10, as well as the super-charged Pixel 10 Pro and enlarged Pixel 10 Pro XL.

Dropping the new AirDrop compatibility announcement at such a crucial time for phone sales fits with Google’s strategy for the Pixel 10 family – which seems to have revolved around making the Pixel 10 as compatible with the iPhone as possible while promoting some kind of competitive edge.

At launch, Google keenly highlighted the new PixelSnap feature and accessory line for the Google Pixel 10 family, a magnetic charging and accessory system that both resembles and works with the iPhone’s MagSafe system.

PixelSnap adds a whole host of accessories and charging solutions to Google Pixel, and is conspicuously compatible with Apple's MagSafe. (Image credit: John Velasco)

And now, as declared in a publicly unilateral* announcement, the Pixel 10 series gets AirDrop in all but name. But is Google reaching the core of its users’ needs by copying Apple, or simply reaching for forbidden fruit that might forever stay out of reach? (*it’s almost certain that Google had to get Apple’s approval behind-the-scenes, but Cupertino is yet to comment on the new feature).

The fact is, if you asked me for the biggest Google Pixel 10 features, I’d now put PixelSnap, the new 5x telephoto camera, and AirDrop compatibility at the top of the list – of those, only the telephoto camera isn’t an attempt to chase Apple’s tail (instead chasing after Samsung’s iconic triple camera system found on the base Galaxy S25).

There’s little, then, that sets the Pixel 10 apart in a proactive sense – its biggest features feel like reactions to ongoing trends, rather than an attempt to start a new one. Whatever you think of Apple’s Camera Control or Action Button, or even the logic-bending Fusion Camera, the world’s biggest tech company has never been scared of getting a bit weird in the interest of making the iPhone feel distinctive (who remembers 3D Touch?).

If Google gets into too steady a rhythm of offering iPhone emulations as key features, I’m not sure it’ll do great things for the brand’s mobile identity. That would be a shame, because these phones are brimming with character.

Google deserves credit for increasing compatibility with the iPhone (iPhone 17 pictured), but needs to focus on delivering value to Android loyalists too. (Image credit: Future)

And with the iPhone so dominant in the US and Samsung holding a firm lead in terms of Android competitors, I’m not sure Google is best served by leaning into its new identity as “the iPhone, but Android”. Yes, Android is more flexible, and yes, the Pixel 10 has an optically zoomed camera – but the iPhone 17 has a larger sensor for its zoom shots, and a much faster chipset, so it feels like swings and roundabouts between the two.

Let me make it very clear that I think the move to make Android Quick Share interoperable with AirDrop is brilliant, and a decisively pro-consumer move that benefits users on both sides of the aisle. I also have a lot of sympathy for Google for seemingly always having to be the one making things work between Android and iOS, a matter for which Apple seems to have little time.

But at the end of the day, the phone market values innovation and reputation above all else, so with the next generation of Pixel phones – heck, even with the next round of software updates – I want to see some new features that feel independent of the Android-Apple rivalry.

That could come in the form of new hardware; perhaps a super-high refresh rate screen or new AI-linked hardware button, or a refreshed overall design to continue the evolution of the camera bar. Or it could come in the form of software – a shoreing-up of the part-baked AI tools our Pixel 10 review noted, for example.

Again, Google is the by far the more charitable partner in this era of iOS-Android detente, and deserves its flowers as such. But the Pixel series needs to keep hitting headlines on its own accord in order to keep up with the runaway reputation of its Apple adversary.

Today's best Google Pixel 10 deals

Google Pixel 10: was US$799 now US$599 at Amazon

The Google Pixel 10 is the best base-model flagship phone Google has ever made. As well as a new triple-camera system with 5x telephoto zoom, the PixelSnap magnetic accessory and charging system, and some cool new colors, the Pixel 10 is simply overloaded with AI and software features, and gets any new Android updates ahead of other phones. This discount knocks a considerable $200 off the retail price of the phone.

View DealGoogle Pixel 10: was £799 now £598.50 at Amazon

In the UK, the Pixel 10 is discounted by £200 from its usual retail price of £799 to £599. That's a terrific price and a really substantial discount for a current-generation flagship phone. The Pixel 10 is the best base-model flagship Google has ever made, with an excellent 6.2-inch display, more AI than you can shake a stick at, and a newly upgraded triple-camera system with 5x optical zoom.

View DealToday's best Google Pixel 10, Google Pixel 10 Pro and Google Pixel 10 Pro XL dealsGoogle Pixel 10 Pro SG$1,799View DealSee all pricesGoogle Pixel 10 Pro XL SG$1,775View DealSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Black Friday Amazon Google Apple CATEGORIES iPhone Jamie RichardsSocial Links NavigationMobile Computing Staff Writer

Jamie is a Mobile Computing Staff Writer for TechRadar, responsible for covering phones and tablets. A lifelong tech-obsessive, Jamie began his writing career as a music blogger before studying journalism at Goldsmiths College, and joined TechRadar in 2024. He thinks the iPhone 5S is the greatest phone of all time, but is currently an Android user.

As well as reporting on the latest in mobile hardware, software, and industry developments, Jamie specialises in features and long-form pieces that dive into the latest phone and tablet trends. He can also be found writing for the site's Audio and Streaming sections from time to time, or behind the decks as a DJ at local venues around London.

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