Google’s Made by Google event on Wednesday night was packed with announcements, spanning a refreshed Pixel phone lineup, new health features for the Pixel Watch, a brand-new item tracker, and more. The livestream ran at 6PM ET / 3PM PT, and if you missed it, we’ve rounded up the seven biggest reveals from the Pixel 11 launch. From the new Tensor G6 chip to the Pixel Tag, here’s everything you need to know.
Pixel 11: New colors, a price bump, and the Tensor G6
The standard Pixel 11 arrives with a familiar design but several notable changes. It now comes in frost (a lilac-like finish), hibiscus pink, pistachio green, and obsidian black. This is the first time Google has offered such a colorful palette on its base model, a move that could appeal to users looking for more personalization.
Under the hood, the Pixel 11 runs on Google’s new Tensor G6 chip, which the company claims delivers 25 percent faster web browsing and 15 percent faster app loading than the previous generation. The Tensor G6 is expected to improve AI tasks, on-device processing, and overall efficiency. Google also says the battery lasts over 30 hours, and wireless charging is 25 percent faster than the Pixel 10.
The camera system has been upgraded as well, with a 48MP wide lens, a 13MP ultrawide, and a 10.8MP 5x telephoto lens on the back, plus a 10.5MP selfie camera on the front. Google says the wide lens offers 56 percent more light sensitivity, which should significantly improve low-light photography. The 5x telephoto supports up to 30x Super Zoom. Notably, the camera bump is over 40 percent thinner than the Pixel 10’s, making the phone sit more comfortably on a table without wobbling.
However, the Pixel 11 also gets a $100 price increase, starting at $899. The base configuration now includes 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, up from 128GB in the Pixel 10’s entry model. This is a meaningful bump in both storage and memory, and it partially justifies the higher price. The phone launches on August 20th, with preorders already open.
Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL: Introducing HiLight LED
The Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL introduce a new hardware feature called HiLight, an LED indicator strip built into the camera bar. It lights up for Gemini interactions and incoming calls from favorite contacts. Google says future updates will extend HiLight to message notifications from frequent contacts, turning the camera bar into a subtle notification light that adds a touch of personalization.
The Pro models feature a brighter display that peaks at 3,600 nits, making them some of the brightest screens on the market. This is particularly useful for outdoor viewing in direct sunlight. They share the Tensor G6 chip with the base Pixel 11, ensuring fast performance across all models.
The camera upgrades are significant. The Pixel 11 Pro includes a new 48MP telephoto lens with up to 120x Pro Zoom, a 50MP wide lens, a 48MP ultrawide, and a 42MP selfie camera. The 120x zoom is a major leap over the Pixel 10 Pro’s 30x and should appeal to photographers who want to capture distant subjects without sacrificing detail. Google rates battery life at over 30 hours and claims wireless charging is 29 percent faster than the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL.
The Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099 with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, while the Pro XL starts at $1,299 with the same specs. Higher-tier 512GB and 1TB options come with 16GB of RAM, which will appeal to power users who need plenty of local storage. Both phones are available in canyon, fog, olive, and matte obsidian.
Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Durability and brighter screens
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is Google’s latest foldable, and the company is making big durability claims. It features the thinnest bezels ever on a Fold, IP68 water and dust resistance, and a back material that Google says is “designed to be nearly impossible to crack.” According to Google, the new Fold is three times as durable as the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, a major selling point for a category that has historically been seen as fragile.
Both displays are 20 percent brighter than last year’s model, with the inner display reaching 3,600 nits. That’s a significant improvement for outdoor use and makes the Fold competitive with the best traditional smartphones. The Fold runs on the Tensor G6 and offers up to 24 hours of battery life, which is respectable for a device with two screens.
The camera system includes a new 48MP wide lens, a 10.5MP ultrawide, and a 10.8MP telephoto with up to 30x Super Zoom. While the Fold’s camera isn’t as advanced as the Pro’s, it’s still a solid setup for a foldable. The price goes up by $100, starting at $1,899 for 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. It comes in olive and black, matching the color theme of the rest of the lineup.
New camera and creator features across the Pixel lineup
Google also introduced several software features aimed at photography and video creation. The Camera app gains a capture mode called Magic Capture, which can pull still photos and short clips from video recordings. This could be a game-changer for casual users who often capture video and later wish they had taken a photo instead.
Camera Looks are customizable presets that change how the phone processes images, rather than just applying a filter. Options include Minimal, Editorial, and Digi, which mimics old digital cameras. Unlike a simple filter, Camera Looks affect the entire image-processing pipeline, giving users more control over the final result. This is a notable departure from the standard color grading found on most phones.
The Pixel 11 Pro also adds Pro Stable Video, which Google says can record at up to 8K. This is aimed at videographers and content creators who need high-resolution footage with smooth stabilization. Additionally, a new Creator tab in the Camera app houses a Creator Suite with tools for trimming and reordering videos, an onscreen teleprompter, and improved Speech Enhancement. These tools make the Pixel more appealing to YouTubers and TikTok creators.
Pixel Watch 5: Breathing emergency detection and more health tools
The Pixel Watch 5 retains the same design as its predecessor but packs a host of new software features. The headline feature is Breathing Emergency Detection, an evolution of last year’s Loss of Pulse feature. It can trigger an emergency call if it detects a significant, sustained drop in blood oxygen saturation (SpO2). This is a potential lifesaver for people with respiratory conditions or those who stop breathing during sleep.
The watch can also track sleep breathing quality at night and provide monthly reports. This data can help users identify patterns of sleep apnea or other breathing issues. Starting in September, Google will roll out Blood Pressure Trends and Insulin Resistance Trends, which will require calibration with a traditional cuff for blood pressure but will offer user-friendly trends over time. Workout features include AI-generated strength training plans and on-wrist rep tracking. Google claims the Pixel Watch 5 has the most accurate GPS route tracking for exercise, outperforming the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Garmin Fenix 8 Pro.
The Pixel Watch 5 gets a $50 price bump, now starting at $399. It’s offered in 45mm and 41mm sizes, with black, white, olive green, and pink color options. A Steph Curry special edition costs $579 and launches on September 3rd. With these features, the Pixel Watch 5 is positioned as a serious contender in the premium smartwatch space.
Pixel Tag: Google’s AirTag alternative
Google finally has an answer to Apple’s AirTag. The Pixel Tag is an oblong item tracker measuring 1.1 by 1.8 inches, slightly different from the AirTag’s round shape. It will launch on November 11th for $29 individually or $99 for a pack of four, matching AirTag’s pricing. The design is likely intended to work with keychains and luggage tags, and the shape may make it easier to attach.
The Pixel Tag has IP67 water and dust resistance, meaning it can survive being submerged in up to a meter of water for 30 minutes. It uses a replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery that Google rates for over a year of use, so you won’t need to recharge it constantly. The Pixel Tag will integrate with Google’s Find My Device network, which uses billions of Android devices to locate lost items. This is a huge step for Google, closing a major ecosystem gap with Apple.
Pixel Buds Pro 2: New color and improved ANC
Google is keeping the Pixel Buds Pro 2 alive with a fresh olive green colorway that matches the olive Pixel 11 Pro and Pro Fold. The new color launches on August 12th. In September, a firmware update will roll out to improve active noise cancellation on the earbuds. This shows Google’s commitment to extending the life of existing hardware with software improvements, even as the company focuses on new devices like the Pixel Tag and refreshed Wear OS features.
These announcements highlight Google’s broader strategy of integrating hardware, software, and AI across its ecosystem. From the Tensor G6 chip to the Health features on the Pixel Watch 5, Google is pushing the envelope on what Android devices can do. With the Pixel Tag, the company is also competing directly with Apple in the accessories market, giving Android users a reliable way to track their belongings.
Source: The Verge News