Google returns to New York on Wednesday, Aug. 12, for its annual Made by Google hardware event, and this year the show arrives with an unusually thin veil of secrecy. Between official teasers and a steady drip of leaks, most of the headline details about the Pixel 11 lineup are already circulating — leaving the live keynote to mostly confirm what’s already known.
This year’s event also comes with a notable format shift. Comedian and former Daily Show host Trevor Noah is set to emcee the show, joined by a sprawling guest list that includes Stephen Curry, Alex Cooper, Shubman Gill, Peggy Gou, Jesser, JuJu Watkins, Chari Hawkins, and PinkPantheress, according to Android Authority. That’s a departure from last year, when Made by Google was presented as a non-canon Tonight Show segment with Jimmy Fallon rather than a standalone keynote.
Here’s a breakdown of what to expect.
When and how to watch
The keynote streams live on the Made by Google YouTube channel, with a mirrored feed on the Google Store, starting at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT on Aug. 12. That’s a notably later start than in previous years. The Pixel 10 event, for example, began at 1 p.m. ET. International viewers will also need to plan around it: The event begins at 11 p.m. in the UK, midnight in continental Europe, and 3:30 a.m. IST on Aug. 13.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Adding to the unusual scheduling, both The Verge and Android Authority note that Google and Best Buy had published a Pixel 11 preorder countdown set to expire at 10 a.m. ET — roughly eight hours before the keynote even begins. So expect most news about the Pixel 11 series to be on the web before the show starts.
Pixel 11 lineup
Expect to see these four phones showcased during the livestream:
-
Pixel 11 Pro XL
-
Pixel 11 Pro Fold
The Verge and Tech Advisor both frame these as largely iterative updates rather than a redesign. The Verge notes that the phones should look similar to the Pixel 10 series, though with a camera bar that is black all the way across.
Reporting from several outlets points to a new Tensor G6 chip as the headline internal upgrade. Digital Trends reports that it will be Google’s first chip built on a 2-nanometer process by TSMC, which could make the Pixel 11 one of the very first smartphones on the market to use that manufacturing process. Android Authority adds that the chip is said to use newer Arm C1 cores, a PowerVR GPU, and — notably — switch from Samsung-derived modems to MediaTek’s M90 modem, a move the outlet suggests could help address long-standing Pixel complaints about heat, battery life, and connectivity.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Google is also reportedly planning to drop the 128GB base storage tier in favor of 256GB as the new minimum for the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro. Early listings also point to 12GB of RAM in the Pixel 11 Pro, a drop from the 16GB found in the Pixel 10 Pro and a potentially notable reduction given Google’s AI ambitions for the phone.
On the camera front, Android Authority reports that the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL are expected to keep a triple-camera setup (50MP main, 48MP ultrawide with macro, and a 48MP periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom), with digital zoom reportedly reaching as high as 120x. New camera software said to be in the works includes an improved Cinematic Blur mode, video relighting, 4K/30fps capture, and an Ultra Low Light video mode. Digital Trends notes that the standard Pixel 11’s camera specs remain contested among leakers, with some reports describing only two rear cameras and others insisting the telephoto lens will remain.
Android Authority also reports that the foldable is expected to have an 8-inch inner display and a slimmer folded profile of 10.1mm. Digital Trends adds that it may gain a telephoto lens for the first time and that the battery may actually shrink slightly to 4,750mAh, offset, in theory, by the more efficient chip. Notably, multiple outlets suggest that the Fold could ship around the same time as the rest of the lineup this year (Android Authority cites an Aug. 20 rumor) rather than arriving weeks later, as it has in the past.
Pricing
Price increases across the board appear all but certain. Digital Trends reports that Google’s VP of devices and services, Shakil Barkat, has already confirmed that pricing adjustments are coming due to rising component costs, without giving exact figures. The Verge similarly notes that a Google executive told 9to5Google the pricing “adjustments” are tied to a broader industry memory crisis. Here are the likely starting prices:
-
Pixel 11 — $899
-
Pixel 11 Pro — $1,099
-
Pixel 11 Pro XL — $1,299
-
Pixel 11 Pro Fold — $1,899
Colors
Tech Advisor highlights color options as one of the more distinctive parts of this year’s refresh, given how incremental the hardware changes otherwise appear: a bright pink option for the standard Pixel 11, a “Dune” hero color with a gold frame for the Pro models, and a new matte-black take on Obsidian, sometimes referred to as “Midnight Haze.”
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Pixel Watch 5
The Pixel Watch 5 is expected to keep the familiar round design of its predecessor, according to Digital Trends, with only modest internal changes. Android Authority and The Verge both cite leaked specs pointing to a Qualcomm Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 “Accelerated” chip, 3GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage — double the previous model’s capacity. Battery life is expected to remain roughly the same as that of the Pixel Watch 4, at 30 and 40 hours for the 41mm and 45mm sizes, respectively.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Tech Advisor describes the new watch as having “done a Pixel 10a” by being nearly identical to its predecessor, the Pixel Watch 4. Owners are unlikely to feel compelled to upgrade if that’s the case.
Pricing leaks cited across several outlets suggest that the 41mm model could start at around $399, up from $349.99, while the 45mm model could start at around $429, up from $399.99.
There are also mentions of a Pixel Watch 5 Steph Curry Special Edition. It’s reportedly just a special-edition watch band, likely U.S.-only and limited to the larger case size — tying into Curry’s expected appearance at the event.
The HiLight feature
Several outlets single out a new lighting feature, variously reported under the working names “Pixel Glow” and, more recently, “HiLight.” It is one of the more talked-about additions, even if opinions differ on how useful it will actually be.
The Verge and Android Authority both report that the feature is housed in the camera-bar flash, which reportedly doubles as an RGB light capable of glowing in different colors — for instance, to signal a call from a specific contact or indicate an active conversation with Gemini. The Verge notes that code spotted in Google’s Contacts app appears to confirm the “HiLight” name and per-contact color customization. Android Authority reports that the feature is exclusive to the Pro models and effectively replaces the temperature sensor found on the camera bar of previous-generation phones.
Not everyone is convinced that it will be a major selling point. Tech Advisor is openly skeptical, arguing that, as currently described, HiLight amounts to a light that changes color for calls or Gemini interactions — moments when users are typically already looking at the phone’s front, not its camera bar — and calls it “a bit of a dud” pending further details from Google.
As of now, one leak suggests that the feature apparently won’t be available on the base Pixel 11.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Gemini Intelligence
Several outlets suggest that software, not hardware, may be the actual centerpiece of this year’s presentation. The Verge frames Gemini Intelligence as central to explaining why the new phones matter, given how visually similar they are to the outgoing generation. Android Authority echoes that point, noting that with the hardware changes being relatively modest, Google “needs to explain why its latest generation matters,” and expects Gemini to dominate the presentation.
On the Pixel Watch 5 specifically, The Verge reports that marketing materials describe Gemini Intelligence as a “personal, proactive assistant” capable of surfacing helpful information unprompted. A feature called “Proactive Suggestions” is said to offer context-aware reply recommendations for messages, and the materials reportedly tout improved sleep tracking as well.
What’s probably not coming
The Verge is explicit that rumored Googlebook laptops and Android XR smart glasses are unlikely to appear, noting that Google previously said both product lines are slated for a fall launch rather than an August debut. Tech Advisor similarly rules out a Pixel smart ring or new Pixelsnap accessories, citing a lack of supporting leaks.
Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories and Deals newsletters or get Mashable push alerts today.
Source: https://mashable.com/tech/made-by-google-what-to-expect-2026
