Google Pixel 11 launch: Live updates from the event hosted by Trevor Noah

Hello everyone and welcome to our liveblog of Google's Pixel 11 launch today. It's going to be a weird one as it is currently only 9AM ET and the event is going to start at 6PM ET. Will I be able to talk to you all (or, realistically, myself) for that long? If you know me, you'll know this is all too easy.

I see we already have a comment below from user Kevin Bailey, who is disappointed at Google's lack of communication after signing up for a discount email and having "proven loyalty"! Kevin, what discount email is this, what magic pro tips do you have that I have not heard of? And tell me what Google devices have you been using because I am curious about your experience! Why Google for so long!

If these discount codes that Google started sending out recently for the Pixel 11 is what you're talking about, Kevin, I am impressed by your ability to keep up to date with the latest news!

Ahead of today's event, Google has already been quite busy with some early announcements. Just yesterday, it announced a partnership with Abbott to integrate data from that company's Lingo continuous glucose monitor (CGM) into the Health app.

Hey y'all, just chiming in here that I also don't get Google's strategy of having the launch event so late in the day today.

There were some rumors that it's because Google wants to do another "late night" style production (no word on if Fallon is hosting again), which should be fun. I'm just not sure the timing makes sense. 

Well I definitely prefer Trevor Noah that's for sure! 

I see a somewhat familiar name in the chat... Commenter adamdesoto has been Pixel-forward since the Pixel 2XL! They say every iteration of the Pixel has had some issue, whether it's the fingerprint sensor, software or Bluetooth. They found the Pixel 10 "great until an update rendered widgets unusable and I got rid of it." I tend to agree that Pixel phones were hit or miss until the company really found its stride with the Pixel 9 or Pixel 10 lineup!

My heart goes out to adamdesoto though, who said " I still get excited about Pixel launch events but I know I'll only get hurt..." Let's see how you feel later today!

That reminds me, here's a fun fact about Trevor Noah. Because Jawas in Star Wars speak sentences and phrases based on Zulu, people who are fluent in the language like Trevor Noah can understand what they are saying in the movies. 

Also, commenter The_B said they received a discount code from Google last night that shaves £150 off the Pixel 11. That's exciting! Oh and The_B is in the UK and only has the Pixel 7 and Pixel Watch 4 so far. Both of those are fairly recent, though I think you might find a new Pixel phone very satisfying.

The Pixel Watch 4 is definitely recent, but I would certainly understand wanting to upgrade from a Pixel 7.

Like we already said above, lots of celebrities are expected to make an appearance later today. From host Trevor Noah to singer-songwriter PinkPantheress to podcaster Alex Cooper to basketballer (and Google collaborator) Steph Curry, the list is varied and long. You can see more names in this trailer, and tell us who you're most excited to see?

Of course, the event itself is still quite a few hours away, but if you wanted to prepare ahead of time, here's how you can watch along this evening. Maybe it'll be good dinnertime entertainment!

By the way, if you've even peeped at the Made By Google Instagram account lately, it won't be hard to predict what is coming today. The company basically confirmed that the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Pixel Watch 5 are coming. 

Yep, we'll be here all day dropping news as we get it, so feel free to check back when you can. 

So it's 10:04 AM and well I guess the Google cat is out of the bag. If you head on over to our home page, you'll see we have pretty comprehensive coverage of all the Pixel announcements today!

If you want a one-stop full breakdown of everything Google announced today, we have that multi-thousand-word article for you. 

Why should I pay attention to this liveblog any more? Well do I have the answer for you! Basically, we'll hang out here with you all all day, answering your questions in the comments below. We'll direct you to our hands-on articles, share more details on what we know about the devices so far and then go to the Google event in person this evening and tell you what it's like! I heard invites were very limited, so it's not like you can get that on-the-ground reporting just any where!

If you're like commenter Philip Doyle below who noticed all the videos are now live and is grateful that they don't have to stay up till 11PM in the UK, that is completely fair and understandable.

Also, it looks like there are a handful of people that are happy the news went live just now, so they don't need to stay up for the livestream presentation later.

I took a closer look at the new Pixel Watch 5 this week and even worked out with one! Thanks, Google, for basically setting up a mini circuit for us to use. Super helpful! I am most intrigued by the bold GPS-tracking claims that Google made and glad that the company finally made Gemini on the watch work without needing an internet connection. Check out more of my impressions in my hands-on with the Pixel Watch 5!

Some of the interesting features coming to the Pixel Watch 5 include Health Guardian, which is a suite of tools that look for longterm trends in your data to spot any concerning patterns that might point towards anomalies in your insulin resistance or blood pressure.

For the Android faithful, have you found yourselves adopting the Pixel Watch lineup or is Samsung's Galaxy Watch still the smartwatch of choice for the non-Apple population?

As for the new phones, I must say that I like the idea of Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight indicator. It's basically taking an old school idea and repurposing it in a more modern way and Google's implementation is pretty slick. HiLight simply lives inside the camera flash on the back of the phone. 

I just wish it could do more than just turn on when you trigger Gemini or get a call. Support for texting seems so obvious, and it seems Google agrees, because reps told me that they are looking into that sort of functionality. But there's no official timeline for that, so don't hold your breath quite yet. 

Google also dropped a new Pixel Tag today, and it's a $29.99 Bluetooth tracker that's basically an AirTag for Android people. Yes I know Samsung also made the Galaxy Smart Tag. I don't know why but Pixel Tag just has a nice ring to it. Also, it will work with devices running Android 9 or later!

By the way if you are interested, we made a little video going over the new Pixel 11 series! 

Pixel Tag is just a nice short name. We really don't need to put smart in front of every device anymore. 

There's usually quite a lot of cross-platform mimicry every year and in addition to the Pixel Tag sounding just like an AirTag this year, Google has also announced a new feature today that feels very familiar. The company just made its Quick Share tool even more similar to Apple's AirDrop, by allowing people to transfer files, media and contacts by bringing two Android devices close together.  

On to a more interesting, yet also slightly less interesting product: The Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Sam has gone as far as to call it "stagnating," which I think is fair considering Google's foldable doesn't seem well-equipped to handle the competition from Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8. I like that Google continued to focus  on durability but could we not push the hardware a bit... harder? 

Yea, and with Motorola joining the competition this year and Samsung making not one but two new foldables, there's less room for error with the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. 

Also, I could talk about this all day. But the base Z Fold 8 basically has the same general design as the original Pixel Fold. Google had the recipe for success all along, the company just didn't see it through and then let Samsung swoop in and steal the glory. 

Another fun tidbit is that when I talked to some of Google's engineers a long time ago, they cited the main reason Google switched away from the OG Pixel Fold's form factor was due to the fact that the majority of apps and mobile websites are designed around a portrait orientated screen.

But I think developers have been doing a better job of supporting dynamic resolutions for stuff, so that problem isn't nearly as big of a deal today as it was three years ago. 

I just want Google to make a flip-style foldable already!

I would love to see it. Google already picks some of the best colors for its phones, so I think it has a shot at making a really interesting fashion-forward but still compact handset. 

By the way, in case you all haven't already noticed, our resident spec sheet peeper Kris Holt spotted a little detail that we felt was worth mentioning. Despite their price increases, the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL actually start with less RAM than last year's models. We managed to get an explanation from Google as to why that is. 

Read more: Google's Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL have less RAM despite price increases

To Sam's point about colors below... I do think Google is great at embracing color in a way that few of its competitors do. The HiLight feature on the Pixel 11 Pro series is a standout to me, as it uses colorful LEDs to help you understand, at a glance, what notifications you might have received and whether they're important.

Sometimes I wish I could liveblog to you all the true goings-on at Engadget all day. Just a no-holds-barred behind-the-scenes look at the stuff we really say to each other about the industry (and each other).

Wow, Cherlynn really teasing some goss here lol.

Oh did I hit send? Anyway, I wanted to call out this article by our Mariella Moon, that points out that the Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL are the toughest Pixel phones yet. I love seeing the good headlines our editorial team produces!

Maybe if we get some spicy reader comments about team gossip the new Google Pixel devices I will be very forthright about answering them!

We have an intrepid reader who left a comment (with a screenshot to boot!) about how the Belgian version of the Google store already has the phones up. Dear Indium, thank you for the comment: do you know if it's just pre-orders, which are already live? Or is there more to it?

FWIW, pre-orders for all the new Pixel stuff is live on the US Google Store right now, though official sales don't start until August 20.  

I'd love it if you all left your questions here about what you'd most like to know about the new Pixel devices too, as we get ready to test these things and write up our reviews! Especially since you have probably all watched a few videos and read various different articles online. What has yet been answered?

Typically when there is a big tech event, I try to get pictures of the snacks and vibes in person. While we can't do that right now, I can certainly talk about what I want to have for lunch. It's completely irrelevant though, so I won't mention it. But I'm curious. Now that things have settled slightly, what do you think Google will have to say at its event later this evening? And what do you want the company to do?

One of my favorite updates that Google announced today that might have gone unnoticed is how Pixel 11 devices can transcribe sign language into text. That's thanks to a new sign-language-to-text (SL2T) model by DeepMind, that's been embedded into the Gboard Live Transcribe tool for the new phones. This way, people communicating via American Sign Language (ASL) can sign to their phone camera and have the system convert that to written text. Since it's embedded into the keyboard, it can allow ASL users to search the web or write messages by signing.

Another one of my favorite new Pixel 11 features is the HiLight LED indicator on the back of the Pixel 11 Pro phones... Here's a video we made highlighting how it works. Get it?

Here's something you might have missed: Google also made a new Olive version of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 available today. So if you like to match all your accessories to whatever else you have, you can! There are a few new features coming as well, with dynamic ANC being the most notable update.

Wow it looks like a bunch of comments just loaded for me! Joel said below "has anyone compared the Pixel 11 Pro to the Pixel 10 Pro? We know the specs, but has anyone had a chance to run benchmarks between the two?" 

I don't believe anyone outside of Google has been allowed to disclose that they've run benchmarks yet, but I am not an official source on this!

Commenter StewDude said they ordered one with Verizon and traded in an S21 Ultra. StewDude, which color did you pick?

We're taking a brief intermission as Cherlynn is on her way to Google for a clandestine meeting. If you caught 10 of the same update in the liveblog a moment ago, that's the sound Cherlynn's laptop makes when it runs out of battery in a cab. Keep those messages coming in!

Our camera reviewer Steve Dent is currently staring (safely) at the sun from his home in France and is sharing photos in our Slack. I'll never get tired of seeing the sun being eaten by the moon. 

Sadly Steve did not take the photo with one of the new Pixels, though it would've been a cool test of that new 120x Pro Zoom feature. With the next solar eclipse due in February 2027, it's going to take a while for us to figure out how the Pixel handles that particular camera test.

Yes hello I am here with Sam at a clandestine Google meetup in New York and i can't say what we did but you'll find out soon enough! Meanwhile what I can say is that we're basically near the event location for this evening!

Another truly important update to show you the extent of the eclipse in France. I'll hand the reins back to Cherlynn and Sam and will try not to interject with more cool photos that have nothing to do with Google's new phones.

Hey y'all, I have also returned from some meetings. We still have around three hours until the actual presentation, so if you have any questions for comments you want us to see, drop them at the bottom the story. 

Now that I've had some more to to think about it, I realize that I may have been a tiny bit too harsh about the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Stagnating is a strong word when the phone has gotten lighter, a new main camera sensor and a bunch of new software.

The big issue is that compared to previous years, the Pro Fold has twice as much competition than before. Not only are there two versions of the Z Fold 8, Motorola also joined the fray with the Razr Fold. 

Furthermore, the base Z Fold 8 has a fun new shape, which I know I've mentioned before is something Google tried out years ago. 

The Z Fold 8 is still the thinnest and lightest of them all

Meanwhile, the Razr Fold has stylus support, which is important now that Samsung has dropped it from its foldables.

But what's the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's special feature?

HiLight is available on all of the Pixel 11 Pro phones. Same goes for all the new software like Magic Capture. IP68? That was on last year's model too.

So while I like the more durable glass fiber back, it's hard to balance that out against not getting the full 120x Super Res Zoom like you get on the regular Pro Pixels. It's battery capacity is also down 200mAh from the previous version. 

I really feel like the Pixel 11 Pro Fold needs one cool exclusive feature, and stuff like the new Made You Look animations don't count. 

Regardless, this is a great example of why hands-ons and reviews are different things. I feel like there's a lot more to learn about the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, so I can't wait to use it more.

Now I'm back to thinking about HiLight. We were actually talking about in Engadget Slack about how fun a good indicator light is. 

I think my endlessly repeated question to StewDude worked, as they left a comment saying it was the Pixel 11 Pro 512GB in the peachy Canyon color. I think that's a solid choice!

Also a very anonymous guest commenter penned a haiku, I think:

"do we really need new flagship phones every year.

are the improvements so great that the phone will be life changing

sure let's build up more ewaste

thx

Google and all you others"

Can't say I disagree!

But even more than that, it's seems to be an old trend that's getting reinvented. 

We've seen other companies come up with similar features like the tiny screen on the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max. 

And then if we look back, there are a ton of old phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 that had a light on its back that you could use to measure your heart rate.

That said, I feel like the natural conclusion to this line of thought is make phones weird again. It's actually kind of shocking how much the smartphone industry has shrunk in the last five to six years. LG gone, HTC out, OnePlus abandoned the US. And those are just some of the big names.

This also reminds me that the worst thing about OnePlus calling it quits in the west is that we're never going to get the OnePlus Open 2. Even back in 2023, OnePlus was trying to make foldables phone more affordable better than pretty much anyone else. 

IIRC, OnePlus even had an offer where you could trade in broken phones for a discount on the Open. That was so nice. Now I'm sad. :(

By the way, I think at this point it's safe for me to tell you all that I have unboxed some Pixel review units and am beginning to test them! I can tell you that I am awash in rosy hues! And Sam is... unfolding things..!

Indeed, I'm actually trying to take a closer at the glass fiber back on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold compared the Gorilla Glass on the regular Pros. 

If you didn't know it was there, I don't think anyone would have questioned it. It has the same matte finish, the one difference is that the Fold features a matte G logo instead of polished metal one. I also feel like the panel is a big factor when it came to making the 11 Pro Fold lighter, and now I'm wondering if Google is using this as a low key trial for bring glass fiber panels to more products in the future. 

Ok, we're almost an hour out from the presentation, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a break while I make my way over to the studio where the presentation is being held. See you in a bit. 

Sam will send us pictures from the event space shortly, I'm sure. I also have to get re-situated as I prepare to cover the event from a block away. Google had a very limited number of seats available for this one.

I did manage to get some working out done at the Pixel hands-on session earlier this week and wore a Pixel Watch 5 during. Here's a video running down Google's latest smartwatch!

Ok, after fighting through NYC traffic I'm here. Still getting all my devices connected, but I will have some pictures from the studio soon!

Google is really leaning into the late night talk show with this, even more than last year's event. 

A lot of people are really taken by the sunken couch Google set up, including me. 

Ok, we're less than 10 minutes out, so if you want to grab a drink or a snack, you best do so now. 

Security made me toss my drink before I went inside :(

The PA just came on and told us to make some noise, after all, this is a livestream, so the crowd needs to bring the energy or something. 

Get ready, because the show is about to being. 

That said, because all the news already dropped this morning, I think I'm going to treat this as a more relaxed affair, because if you need some impressions or specs, you can always check out Engadget.com.

And here's Trevor Noah to kick things off.

Also, y'all better stayed tuned because apparently we're going to get a live performance from Pink Pantheress.

The first Googler on stage is the company's head of devices, Rick Osterloh.

His opening statement is about how were in the midst of a big change to the gadget ecosystem after years of things being relatively iterative. 

Noah is mentioning the common pain point of liking our gadgets and electronics, but also not wanting to be glued to them all the time. I hear you Trevor. 

Osterloh just took a second to call out that with over a billion users right now, Gemini is Google's fastest growing product ever. 

Now he's segueing into talking about using AI to help organize his weekly pickup basketball game. 

Which don't get me wrong, that sounds nice, but strolling down to the court doesn't need to be that hard. 

Now Osterloh is talking about how Gemini is transitioning into being Gemini Intelligence, which sounds like a really small thing, but it did have an impact on the new phones. This week I learned that features like Magic Cue have sort of been rebranded to fall under the Gemini Intelligence umbrella. 

Also, while the stream is moving onto the next segment, I want to mention that this presentation is expected to run for about an hour. 

Now we have Isabelle Olsson on stage to talk about Google's design philosophy. 

Olsson is talking about how there's a lot more to picking, or more accurately creating the colors that get used on Pixel devices than people might think.

I will say, I do like the hibiscus Pixel 11 and the Canyon aka salmon version of the Pixel 11 Pro. 

Now Olsson is calling out the slimmer camera module on the base Pixel 11, which I also mentioned in our video, especially as you can make it completely flat when you used one of Google's first-party cases. 

Of course, Google is mentioning the special Steph Curry edition of the Pixel Watch 5. Will he actually be here today? I remember him showing up on the billboards for this event last year but he never showed...

And of course, we can't forget the Pixel Tag. That said, it's a tag, so there's not all that much to talk about. 

Trevor is really a man of the people, his phone falls out of his pocket when he gets out of a car, just like me. 

So remember when I was talking about what the Pixel 11 Pro Fold's signature feature was supposed to be? Apparently Google really believes that it's durability is it. 

Next up, Ayami Nakajo is coming out for a style sesh. 

Not so fast, that was just the transition, instead its Edward Shi from Google. 

Now they're talking about all of the Pixel 11 new camera features, including faster Night Sight photos, up to 120x zoom on the Pros and more. 

And when it comes to battery life, Google says a 15 minute charge delivers up to 15 hours of runtime. 

Google is now claiming that your AI experience on Pixel has "the most privacy protection," though I'm not really sure what the metrics for that claim are. 

Google is also teasing an upcoming feature for the Pixel Buds Pro 2, where if your Pixel Watch detects that you fall asleep, it will automatically mute your buds.

Now on stage is Toni Urban, who is here to talk more about the Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight feature. 

For those who haven't seen it yet, HiLight lives inside the camera flash on the Pixel 11 Pro line and it lights up when you talk to Gemini or get a call from designed people or groups. 

And now Peggy Gou is joining us to show off HiLight IRL. And it worked! Google avoided the live demo trap this time. 

Kenny Sulaimon is now calling in from Brooklyn (live I think) with Juju Watkins and Youtuber Jesser to help test out the Pixel 11's Magic Capture feature. 

This is a good setup for Magic Capture, because the AI really does make it easy to capture dynamic moments like a pull-up jumper.

Now we're going international with a clip shot in Paris. We got a well known cricket player using Gemini to find a local match to play, but I'm sorry I can't clock them. Sorry for being American. 

We don't do cricket!

Next is another demo of what Google is calling everyday magic powered by Google Intelligence. 

Basically, the phone is using AI to check your schedule and help you figure out if you're free for something or not. 

This also works on the Pixel Watch 5. For those who have been keeping up with tech product names, this is what Google used to call Magic Cue. 

And now here's a explanation of task automation. For example you can ask the phone to book at table at a specific restaurant and time.  

Task automation is already available in over 40 apps. Other tasks include ordering groceries and booking a flight. 

Just remember, you still have to manually pay or confirm the transaction. 

Now we're being shown a demo of voice transcription using a Pixel 11. Noah mentions that this feature is using Rambler, which has the power to eliminate the umms and ahhs that people often say when speaking naturally.

The updated voice typing is rolling out today!

Rambler genuinely seems like a cool dictation-related feature and I'd be curious to see if on other Pixel (or even other Android) devices!

We're not done yet though, because now we're getting into the Pixel's translation abilities. 

A big highlight is the ability for the Pixel 11 to switch between languages on the fly.

By the way, I knew that Trevor Noah would be an excellent host, but I think we're seeing it in real time. It's nice to be able to watch one of these without cringing too much. I shall not comment any further.

But wait, there's more, because the Pixel can interpret American Sign Language as well. 

The neat thing about this is that the Pixel isn't just reading hand signs, it's also using his face and expressions to add greater context to the translation. 

The next segment is about Health Guardian, which is a collection of features that can help you monitor your body and potentially catch problems before they get more serious.

One of the things the Pixel Watch 5 can do is track insulin resistance over time. 

It will also monitor blood pressure trends. 

Google also reminded us that the Pixel Watch is the only watch that can track loss of pulse. 

Weirdly, the breathing emergency feature is coming first to Europe. 

Now Olympian Chari Hawkins is talking about how her Fitbit helps with precision training. She actually said insight provided by Fitbit helped her make the team after missing out in 2016 and 2020. 

Noah from Google (not Trevor Noah) is now using a Pixel 11 to build an individualized workout routine. 

The Pixel Watch 5 also uses a new system to track your location, so that it's more precise even when you're running through a city, which is often a problem due to buildings and signals reflecting off all sorts of things. 

Once again, Steph Curry is too cool to show up in person, so he's talking about creating a custom workout routine in a canned video clip. 

Alex Cooper is on the stage and somehow she got the most applause of anyone yet.

It's time to unpack everyone's fear of switching from iPhone to Android. GASP. 

So much for that 1 hour runtime...

Enough jokes, this is kind of a big deal, because Google worked with Apple to make sure that you can now transfer sensitive things like passwords, passkeys and other potentially sensitive data, which wasn't possible before. 

That said, I really have to wonder if Google and Apple working together on making it easier to transfer data between OSes and devices is actually a way to get out in front of anti-trust issues. 

The duopoly isn't a problem because it's so easy to switch between ecosystems, right?

Osterloh and Noah are back on stage, ostensibly to wrap things up. 

Also joined by Steven Gerrard!

Apparently a bunch of football clubs including Liverpool, Arsenal, FC Bayern and more are now #TeamPixel.

Not sure if that means all the players are getting new phones or what, but here we are. 

And to send us off, Pink Pantheress is on stage with the footage being shot live using a Pixel.

Thanks to everyone who is still here. It's been a long day, but hopefully you learned something!