Google

Consumer Hardware · Smartphones · AI

Launch

Google launches Pixel 11 lineup, Pixel Watch 5, and Pixel Tag tracker

The AirTag rival and a lit-up LED for Gemini show Google chasing Apple's hardware ecosystem, not just its chips.

• Google unveiled the Pixel 11 phone lineup, Pixel Watch 5, and its first tracker device, Pixel Tag, at the Made by Google 2026 event on August 12.
• The Pixel 11 series (Pixel 11, Pro, Pro XL, Pro Fold) all run Google's new Tensor G6 chip and lean on Gemini AI for camera, voice, and accessibility features.
• The base Pixel 11 starts at $899, a $100 jump from the Pixel 10, with the entry storage doubled to 256GB but the cheaper 128GB tier dropped.
• Google cited a $100 price hike partly to an ongoing RAM supply shortage, an unusually candid explanation for a hardware price increase.
• The Pro and Pro Fold models add 'HiLight,' a ring of RGB LEDs around the rear flash that glows for incoming calls or when Gemini is listening, letting users skip checking the screen.
• New Gemini software features include ASL support in Live Transcribe, a more natural voice-input tool called Rambler, and deeper Circle to Search integration in the camera.
• The Pixel Watch 5 adds blood pressure and insulin resistance trend tracking plus a Smart Wake alarm, while the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's new hinge was stress-tested through more than 80 million open-close cycles.
• By pairing custom silicon with a tracker, watch, and phone-wide Gemini AI, Google is building an Apple-style hardware ecosystem rather than just competing on specs.