Why Did Google Exclude Popular Youtuber Arun Maini from Pixel 9 Launch Event?

Arun Maini, who runs the YouTube channel "Mrwhosetheboss" with over 19 million subscribers, attacked Google on social media platform X for not extending him an invite to the Pixel 9 launch event. Maini had previously reviewed the last-gen Pixel devices, offering critical feedback.

Maini's YouTube channel is known for tech news, the latest gadgets, smartphone reviews, and more. His subscribers were eagerly awaiting his review of the latest Google Pixel 9 series but were left disappointed.

In his viral post, Maini pointed out that despite reaching out to multiple contacts at Google, he did not receive an invite, attributing it to his critical review of the last-gen Pixel devices. 

The YouTuber's post read, "For those of you asking for our Google Pixel review... We didn't get an invite to the Google Pixel event this year. Reached out to multiple different Google contacts and not heard anything back. We were critical of the last-gen Pixel devices, but that shouldn't be a reason to not be included in this year's launch. I stand by my criticisms, and if anything, it should be seen as a chance to make the product better and then prove it by allowing us to go hands-on. @madebygoogle Can you help please?"

Maini emphasized that he stands by his criticisms, and his reviews should be viewed as an opportunity to improve the product.

Netizens Reactions on X

The internet reacted strongly to his post, which has garnered over 1.7 million views and 25K likes on X, with many comments supporting him. One user commented, "So @Google blacklists reviewers too. That's embarrassing, man."

However, Maini also received some criticism. One comment stated, "Well, I saw your Pixel 8 Pro review, and many things you said weren't justified... You wanted attention and didn't give Google full credit. Yes, their Pixels since 6/6 Pro weren't the best, but they are still good for their value. So I understand why Google didn't invite you this time."

Another user defended Google's decision as well “Why should Google cater to him when his reviews of Pixels have been full of inconsistencies and incorrect information since the 6 series? I'm happy that Google is possibly starting to cut out creators who do no service to consumers. This isn't about the reviews being negative, Google included plenty of creators who don't have overall positive views on their products. This is about the quality of the information and comparisons done. I also find it strange that he is calling them out like this. If you are a creator and don't get an invite to a product launch, then just wait for the product like the rest of us. Sure you can share what happened, but it's strange to beg Google to help you out here.”

Google showcased its latest advancements in artificial intelligence and hardware at the ninth annual Made by Google event on August 13 in Mountain View, California