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CheckMag | A personal visit to Apple and Google in California: The differences could hardly be greater

Anyone who visits Apple and Google in California has something to say. Even if you don't get too far beyond the visitor center at either company. (Image source: Alexander Fagot, Notebookcheck)
Anyone who visits Apple and Google in California has something to say. Even if you don't get too far beyond the visitor center at either company. (Image source: Alexander Fagot, Notebookcheck)
Want to drop by and say hello to Tim Cook at Apple or Sundar Pichai at Google? Of course, visitors to the two tech giants in Cupertino and Mountain View are rather limited in their choice of activities. Nevertheless, the stark differences in public access to the two headquarters are very revealing, even if you know nothing about the "open" Android or "closed" Apple ecosystems.
Opinion by Alexander Fagot
Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author.

It was originally planned as a private visit after CES 2025 in Las Vegas. Since the author of these lines had never been to San Francisco or San Jose, both destinations in sunny California (which are publicly connected by Caltrain) were planned as vacation destinations before and after the tech trade fair. In my case, vacation is almost always associated with work, but the big advantage of being a freelance writer is that there is no fixed place of work. 

After my visit to Apple and Google, I could not help but write about the glaring differences between the two campuses, which closely mirror the two completely contrasting ecosystems of Google's Android on the one hand and Apple's iPhone-iPad-Mac systems on the other. Of course, the boundaries have become somewhat blurred recently due to Google becoming more and more guarded with its Pixel phones and restricting some features to "its people". Apple, on the other hand, is being forced to open up a little more than Tim Cook would like thanks to the EU. 

Nevertheless, I was astounded at how strongly the original concepts of Android and iOS are reflected in the public access to Apple's and Google's visitor centers. First of all, a note on public transport in the region: Cupertino and Mountain View are both very close to San Jose and are only about 16 kilometers apart, a mere 15-minute drive by car. By public transport, however, it takes at least 90 minutes and you have to walk a little and change buses several times, which is comparatively cheap thanks to the Clipper card, stored as a virtual card in Google Wallet and Apple Wallet (any number of changes are allowed within 2 hours).

The 16 km between Apple and Google can be covered by car in a short time.
The 16 km between Apple and Google can be covered by car in a short time.
This takes at least 90 minutes via public transport and some legwork.
This takes at least 90 minutes via public transport and some legwork.

Visit to Apple: You don't see much of Apple Park

I started at Apple, which meant a 45-minute bus ride from San Jose without changing buses, but some walking. No public transport goes directly to Apple, which surprised me a little. The fact that the iconic Apple Park is almost completely hidden from the eyes of visitors is also unusual. I walked around almost the entire campus, but didn't see much of the circular building. When I did catch a glimpse of a part of the Apple headquarters built under Tim Cook's tenure, it was either behind bars or surrounded by tall trees or bushes.

One should be able to catch a glimpse of Apple Park somewhere here ...
One should be able to catch a glimpse of Apple Park somewhere here ...
... but only in places, hidden behind lots of fencing and natural privacy screens.
... but only in places, hidden behind lots of fencing and natural privacy screens.

Great coffee with Apple logo latte art

Since there isn't much else to see in the area around Apple Park, we recommend visiting the Apple Visitor Center directly opposite the main glass entrance to Apple Park and the Steve Jobs Theater. There you can treat yourself to a really good coffee, which of course comes with latte art in the form of an Apple logo, at least in my case. But this is not always guaranteed, according to the ordering app. Incidentally, I paid with Google Pay, which actually works, even though the payment system only displays an Apple Pay logo. 

The main entrance. Unannounced visitors are not allowed inside.
The main entrance. Unannounced visitors are not allowed inside.
The Apple Visitor Center with store, café and "viewing platform".
The Apple Visitor Center with store, café and "viewing platform".
The coffee at the Apple Cafe tastes good and comes with the Apple logo.
The coffee at the Apple Cafe tastes good and comes with the Apple logo.
You can also pay with Google Pay.
You can also pay with Google Pay.
Employees in the Apple Café wear Caffe Macs T-shirts.
Employees in the Apple Café wear Caffe Macs T-shirts.
Only at Apple: a cappuccino with the Apple logo.
Only at Apple: a cappuccino with the Apple logo.
Of course, visitors can also purchase new Apple devices.
Of course, visitors can also purchase new Apple devices.

Apple model with fake drone shot thanks to VR

The cappuccino was surprisingly cheap at $4 (by US standards), especially considering the quality, but the food primarily consisted of packaged sandwiches, cookies, cakes and salads. Behind the café you can try out and buy Apple devices, followed by a section with a miniature model of the Apple campus, which is surprisingly bare. A solution: if you have an iPad, you can cheat a little and view the campus as augmented reality along with a bird's eye view of Apple Park.

What the Apple Park model looks like in the Visitor Center.
What the Apple Park model looks like in the Visitor Center.
This becomes more vivid via virtual reality on the iPad.
This becomes more vivid via virtual reality on the iPad.

Little to see on the viewing platform

I don't understand why the Apple Visitor Center is only two stories high. There is a viewing platform on the upper floor, but you can see very little from there. The rather flat view of Apple Park is also obstructed by a few tall trees, making for a rather disappointing view overall. Of course, you can take selfies while you're there.

The best view of Apple Park from the Visitor Center, which is not much of a view at all.
The best view of Apple Park from the Visitor Center, which is not much of a view at all.
The complimentary selfie from the 2nd floor.
The complimentary selfie from the 2nd floor.

Visit to Google: More fun with Android

After the rather sobering visit to Apple, I went straight to Google in Mountain View, where the topography alone makes for a completely different picture. While Apple Park is hidden from view in the middle of a flat, built-up area, the Googleplex is located on the edge of a publicly accessible park with gentle hills, lots of greenery and close to the water. But not only is the topography different: Google avoids showing gates or fences in large parts of the area. Instead, you can walk around in the greenery for several hours and discover features or memes relating to the developmental history of Android.

The Google Visitor Center viewed from the adjacent hill.
The Google Visitor Center viewed from the adjacent hill.
Inside is a store, a café and a shared workspace.
Inside is a store, a café and a shared workspace.
At first glance, the Shoreline Theater looks like a giant tent.
At first glance, the Shoreline Theater looks like a giant tent.
Of course, there are also restricted areas in the extensive Googleplex.
Of course, there are also restricted areas in the extensive Googleplex.

Lots to see, especially the history of Android

Of course, you can't just walk into internal areas at Google either, but you can see quite a lot before coming to the locked doors, some of which are stylishly lit up in Google colors. You can borrow bikes throughout the campus or explore the area on foot. Time and again you come across little anecdotes about Android's past that invite you to take photos and creative selfies.

Full moon from the Orb

At Apple, the main attraction for me was the cappuccino with the Apple logo, while at Google it was definitely the surroundings bathed in the colors of the gradual sunset, complemented afterwards by a brightly shining full moon. Even after dark, the area around the Google Visitor Center was interesting, such as the Orb, in which I was able to capture the full moon.

Café without Google latte art but with a wide selection of food

Since there was so much to discover at Google outside the visitor center, I only spent a very short time in the café and the adjoining Google Store, which at first glance appeared to me less of a shop and more of a museum. The café also offers a much wider selection of fresh food than at Apple, and in the adjacent meeting and shared workspace, Google employees walk around in chic green sweaters.

Differences between Google and Apple reflected in the visitor centers

It's hard to oversee the fact that Apple and Google have very different philosophies just a few kilometers away from each other. There is the tightly restricted Apple Park, which is concealed behind lots of gates and greenery, and there is the more open Googleplex, which is more open and offers more experiences for visitors, at least within limits. Of course, this personal interpretation is naturally colored by my work in the tech sector, but I am certain that the different approaches of the two tech giants will not go unnoticed by most visitors. While Apple focuses more on consumption and the chic yet sober look of the visitor center, the Google Park invites you to linger, explore, play and work, and the analogy to the more open Android ecosystem is quite obvious here.

Source(s)

Own, all photos were taken with a Vivo X100 Pro.

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 01 > A personal visit to Apple and Google in California: The differences could hardly be greater
Alexander Fagot, 2025-01-23 (Update: 2025-01-24)