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This might be our first look at Google’s Pixel 11A

2026-09-29T11:57:10-04:00

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The only noticable difference is that the camera oval is shorter. | Image: Android Headlines

Google isn't making any significant design changes to its upcoming midrange Pixel update, judging by the leaks shared by Android Headlines. The image renders made by OnLeaks are potentially our first look at the Pixel 11A, which aside from having a slightly rounder oval-shaped rear camera module, looks almost indistinguishable from both the Pixel 10A and Pixel 9A.

It seems the chunky display bezels sported by those predecessors will also carry over as they're present in these leaked images. It makes the phone look very dated compared to the wider Pixel 11 series lineup, but a previous report from Mystic Leaks suggests the Pixel 11A will at …

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Gemini can now call businesses for you so you don’t have to wait on hold

2026-09-24T12:15:24-04:00

Google's launching an "early experiment" feature on Pixel 11 that lets users delegate local business calls to Gemini, like making a reservation, checking if a product is in stock, or rescheduling an appointment. According to Google, you don't even need to start the call to have Gemini handle it for you:

Instead of dialing yourself, just tell Gemini to call on your behalf using the Gemini app on your Pixel. Gemini will call the business, introduce itself, navigate automated phone menus, wait on hold, and handle the conversation with the person on the other end. You remain in control at all times with a live transcript view and the ability …

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Android is getting its own weird dots to cure car sickness

2026-08-25T09:47:26-04:00

Motion Assist as found in Android 17’s settings. | Image: Android Authority, The Verge

Google is rolling out a new Android feature that's been proven to reduce, or even eliminate, motion sickness when using a phone inside a moving vehicle. Dubbed Motion Assist by Google, it's very similar to Apple's Motion Cues, first introduced in 2024. The Android 17 feature appears to be rolling out in phases, with some Pixel phones getting it first, according to Android Authority.

The science behind these magic dots is sound, and addresses the motion sickness felt when staring at a static display while the inner ear feels the car turning, braking, and accelerating. Motion Assist taps into your device's accelerometer and gyroscope to plac …

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This app makes the Pixel 11’s HiLight feature actually useful

2026-08-21T07:34:18-04:00

Google's new HiLight notification LED on the Pixel 11 Pro is nearly useless. Out of the box, the only two things it can glow for are when the phone is face down and you're interacting with Gemini, or when you get a call from a favorite contact. And even then, it can only glow one of five colors!

This is a massive wasted opportunity for a feature that used to be so beloved on older Android phones, so developers have wasted no time doing what Google won't.

X user Dhananjay_Tech developed a new app called HiLight Studio, which lets you do practically anything you want with the HiLight LED array. Did you receive a new Slack notification that m …

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We reviewed the new Pixel lineup, ask us anything

2026-08-19T16:01:22-04:00

The embargo has lifted on Google's Pixel 11 series, as well as for its Pixel Watch 5. Now we get to talk smack - just kidding, the new hardware is good. We have four reviews live on the site that you can peruse at your leisure. We're giving subscribers a chance to engage with us directly in an AMA later today. I'll be there (I reviewed the standard Pixel 11) to answer your questions, and so will David "11 Pro" Imel, Dominic "11 Pro Fold" Preston, and Victoria "Pixel Watch 5" Song.

Subscribers, drop in your questions and we'll begin answering them at 3PM ET. We can't stop you from asking irrelevant questions, but we'll be prioritizing ones t …

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The Pixel 11 Pro is a great phone, no thanks to its flashiest new features

2026-08-19T12:12:12-04:00

Google is trying to get you off your phone. The Pixel 11 Pro is "A Phone Designed to Help You Use It Less," the company promises. It can proactively help you book restaurant reservations, take the best frames from a video, and help you voice-text significantly faster. The pitch is that the new features bundled with the Pixel 11 series of phones can help fix your relationship with technology - one that Google knows has badly degraded in recent years.

But the hardware of the Pixel 11 Pro and 11 Pro XL is very similar to last year's models - and in at least one case, a downgrade - so those software features are pretty much the entire pitch.

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Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold feels like the end of an era

2026-08-19T11:48:16-04:00

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold has a square screen and a very obvious crease.

The foldable phone market is in the middle of a huge transformation, but no one told Google.

Last year, Samsung transformed its Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a dramatically thinner design. This year, it made its phones thinner and lighter again, almost eliminated the crease, and introduced a new passport-sized form factor that feels like the future. Next month, Apple is expected to enter the market with a foldable iPhone that, rumor has it, includes all of the above and adds iOS too.

In the face of all that flux, Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold has hardly changed a thing.

Like the other Pixel 11 phones, this is an iterative hardware upgrade, but unlike …

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The Pixel 11 isn’t the best Pixel of 2026, but it’s the smartest buy

2026-08-19T15:48:34-04:00

The frost color scheme is nice, but it’s no pistachio or hibiscus.

It'd be easy to overlook the Pixel 11. Want the best cameras? The Pixel 11 Pro is your answer. Want the best bargain? The Pixel 10A is still a great deal.

But the Pixel 11 might be the sweet spot in Google's lineup this year. With 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, it delivers the same performance as the base Pixel 11 Pro for $899 - $200 less. And while it's $400 more than the Pixel 10A, it has a faster processor, more RAM and storage, Qi2 charging, and a telephoto lens.

It's also the cheapest way to experience what's actually new about the Pixel 11 series. With the hardware basically unchanged from the Pixel 10 except for new colors and a …

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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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