Made by Google 2026: all the Pixel news and announcements – The Verge

Google’s best new camera feature is only for the Pixel 11 series

2026-08-14T13:35:22-04:00

Arguably the coolest new photo feature for the Pixel 11 lineup is Google's new Camera Looks, which process image data differently at the sensor level to produce photos that don't have that "smartphone" look. The result is new styles like "Digi," which mimics the style of photos taken by older digital cameras. But to use Camera Looks, at least initially, you'll need to have one of Google's Pixel 11 phones.

"Our latest camera updates are only available on our latest devices," Google spokesperson Alex Moriconi tells The Verge. "We're always looking to bring experiences to more users, but have nothing to share at this time." That last sentence …

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Pixel 11 event live blog: Let’s watch Trevor Noah introduce Google’s new phones

2026-08-12T19:25:27-04:00

It's almost time for the Made by Google keynote, where the company will show off the brand-new Pixel hardware it announced today. Like last year, it'll be a celebrity-packed live show, though Trevor Noah is hosting instead of Jimmy Fallon. If the 2025 show was any indication, today's broadcast might be something of a cringefest.

If you've been following tech news this morning, you already know a lot about the new Pixels. Press and creators were able to publish extensive hands-on impressions of the new hardware hours ago, and you can read our coverage of the Pixel 11 phones, their new camera features, the Pixel Watch 5, and more right now.

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Google’s Pixel 11 phone preorders come with up to $350 in gift cards

2026-08-12T16:53:40-04:00

The Pixel 11 Pro in matte obsidian. | Photo: David Imel / The Verge

Looking to get your hands on the latest Pixel devices? After weeks of leaks and rumors, Google has officially announced its next generation of Pixel phones and watches.

The base Pixel 11 starts at $899, the Pro and Pro XL are $1,099 and $1,299 respectively, and the Pro Fold starts at $1,899. The watch comes in two sizes, with the smaller 41mm model starting at $399, and the larger 45mm model starting at $429. The phones are available for preorder now, and will ship on August 20th, 2026.

If you're looking to preorder an unlocked phone on its own, your main options are Best Buy, Amazon, and directly from the Google Store. All three are runni …

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How Google’s new Pixel 11 phones compare to last year’s models

2026-08-12T11:18:25-04:00

The Pixel 11 Pro. | Photo: David Imel / The Verge

Google just added four new phones to the Pixel family: the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. They're slightly more expensive than their predecessors, but they come with some notable upgrades, including improved cameras and a new Tensor G6 chip that should deliver faster performance. The phones also have new photography tools, like Magic Capture, along with improvements to Gemini Intelligence, expanded Live Translate capabilities, and the ability to use Circle to Search directly through the camera.

To make deciding whether you'll upgrade or hold onto your last-gen phone a little simpler, we're focusing on co …

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How the Pixel 11 Pro Fold compares to the Galaxy Z Fold 8

2026-08-12T09:08:21-04:00

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold. | Photo: David Imel / The Verge

Google wasn't first to make a foldable Android phone, but the company's Pixel Fold series is now an established player with unique traits compared to its competitors. For one, it popularized the passport-style design years ago, being more wide than tall - something that Samsung tried for the first time this year with its Z Fold 8, and that Apple is rumored to do with its foldable iPhone that may or may not arrive in 2026. It also delivered the first IP68-rated foldable in the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, soothing concerns that all foldables are super fragile.

Now that the new Pixel 11 Pro Fold (along with the rest of the Pixel 11 lineup) has been unv …

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Google aims for influencers with the Pixel 11 Creator Suite

2026-08-12T10:34:03-04:00

The settings page for the Pixel 11 series’ “Creator Suite.”

Google knows creators are a big audience. The occupation is growing fast, and landing some influential names could be a major turning point for the Pixel's market share. This year, Google is building features directly into its new Pixel lineup that it says can help creators record, organize, edit, and publish content faster and more efficiently than they could on other devices.

Creator Suite is a new mode built into the Pixel 11's camera app. The suite comes with features like a teleprompter, vocal enhancer, external microphone levels, and social media frame guides, which Google thinks will entice users who want to start building channels a …

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The 7 biggest announcements of Google’s Pixel 11 launch

2026-08-12T20:08:49-04:00

Google is hosting a Pixel launch event on Wednesday night where it will show off its latest lineup of devices. But you don't have to wait until then for all the news; we were able to check out the devices ahead of the event and take a look at everything Google's unveiling, including the latest Pixel phones, new health features on the Pixel Watch 5, and more.

Google livestreamed the event on Wednesday at 6PM ET / 3PM PT. But if weren't able to watch along yourself, check out our 8-minute supercut, and can catch up on all of the highlights from Wednesday's Pixel launch below.

Pixel 11 launches with new colors and a price bump

One of the new Pixel 11 colors is a particularly hot hibiscus pink. | Photo: David Imel / The Verge" data-portal-copyright="Photo: David Imel / The Verge">

Google refres …

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Google’s Pixel 11 series pairs a little new hardware with a lot of new software

2026-08-12T09:31:48-04:00

When I first picked up the Pixel 11 Pro this week, it was clear to me that this was one of those refinement years - at least when it comes to hardware. Aesthetically, the phones are as beautiful as ever, with Google's signature camera bar and bright, colorful backing glass. There are small updates, like a single piece of glass covering the camera bar and the all-new HiLight ambient LED on the Pros. But this year, the Pixel is all about quality of life and software improvements.

After weeks of teasers, Google has finally formally announced the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. The phones are all shipping next we …

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Google is making the Pixel cameras better by making them worse

2026-08-12T09:26:25-04:00

If you look at a photo taken by a smartphone today, it's hard to find much that's technically wrong. Faces are bright and visible. The skies are pristine and blue. Even at night, scenes are well lit and noise-free. If the physical limitations of a tiny camera are what you're trying to solve for, you could probably label smartphone photography a mostly solved problem.

But in our current moment, the photos people are drawn to are not flawless - and that's created a real problem for the people making smartphone cameras. "The gap between what two random people want from their camera is growing dramatically," says Isaac Reynolds, who leads the P …

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Google’s Pixel Watch 5 dives deeper into AI and health

2026-08-18T15:26:48-04:00

At least there’s no new proprietary charger this year. Huzzah!! | Photo: David Imel / The Verge

The $399 Google Pixel Watch 5 isn't about the hardware. Sure, there's a new satin pyrite case finish, a few new strap colors, and a Steph Curry Special Edition. Under the hood, there's a slightly faster Qualcomm processor and an itty-bitty battery bump. There's a $50 price hike from last year, too, because the Pixel Watch 5 isn't immune to RAMageddon - none of us are. Otherwise, no one would blame you for looking at this watch and thinking absolutely nothing's changed. That's because the big updates this year are all software-based.

This isn't a huge surprise considering Google's Fitbit Air launch in May. And after seeing some Pixel Watch 5 …

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