Google has used its Made by Google 2026 event to stuff Pixel hardware with more Gemini-powered tricks.
The search giant showed off the Pixel 11 series, Pixel Watch 5 and a tracker aimed squarely at the Fruity Cargo Cult Apple’s AirTag. Job’s Mob’s little tag now has a proper Android-shaped rival.
Google spent a fair chunk of the event banging on about Gemini and AI features coming to its devices.
One useful accessibility update expands Live Transcribe to support American Sign Language. Using the Pixel Camera, users can have sign language translated into text, giving people another way to communicate without typing.
Google introduced Rambler, a new voice-input feature built to understand how people actually talk. It is meant to handle rambling sentences, filler words and messy speech while still working out what users want.
Circle to Search can now be accessed more directly from the Pixel Camera. Users can identify objects, search things in the distance, translate text or ask questions without leaving the camera.
The standard Pixel 11 gets a redesigned camera bar that is thinner than the previous model. Google says the new bar is more than 40 per cent thinner and uses an all-glass surface across the phone’s width.
Google is doubling the base storage to 256GB, which bins the previous 128GB starting point.
The Pixel 11 starts at $899, a $100 rise from the Pixel 10. Google appears to be blaming the dropped storage option and the ongoing RAM supply shortage for that little wallet punch. The Pixel 11 will come in Frost, Hibiscus, Pistachio and Obsidian.
Google is making durability a bigger deal in the Pro line. The outfit says the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL get improved drop resistance and a new anti-scratch display coating. That coating apparently offers more than twice the scratch resistance of the Pixel 10 Pro models.
The Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099, up from $999 for the Pixel 10 Pro. The phones come in Canyon, Fog, Olive and Obsidian, with Obsidian getting an all-matte finish this year.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is nearly 10 per cent lighter and almost 1mm thinner than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, according to Google. It gets slimmer bezels, a 48-megapixel main camera and 30x Super Zoom. Google is leaning on the IP68 water and dust resistance it introduced with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.
The new foldable uses a glass-fibre composite back cover designed to resist cracking. A redesigned hinge gives extra protection to the inner display.
Google claims the changes make the Pixel 11 Pro Fold three times more durable than its predecessor. It comes in Olive and Obsidian.
Google finally has its own tracking tag, called Pixel Tag. The small gadget helps users keep tabs on keys, wallets and luggage through Android’s Find Hub network. The tag costs $29, or $99 for a four-pack. Users can find it from a Pixel Watch, while Pixel Buds owners can ask Gemini to find or ring a Pixel Tag.
The Pixel Watch 5 gets several health-related updates. The Google Health app will offer monthly summaries of blood pressure trends, designed to help users spot patterns over time. It will also provide monthly summaries of insulin resistance trends.
The 41mm Pixel Watch 5 starts at $399, while the 45mm model starts at $429. Google is offering a Stephen Curry edition for $579, with an exclusive workout-focused design. Pixel Buds Pro arrives in a new Olive colour, because someone in a branding meeting clearly had one paint swatch left.
