I noticed something peculiar during Google’s ‘The Android Show I/O Edition 2026’ stream – a strange inconsistency on one of the phones used to demonstrate the new Android 17 creator tools. Is this just a weird editing choice, or has Google inadvertently given us a sneak peek at the Pixel 11 or Pixel 11 Pro?
The inconsistency occurs during the ‘Expression’ segment of the stream on the Pixel device used by actress and founder of So Positive, Ananya Panday.
- 17:22: We get a clear look at the back of the phone. From the shape and layout of the camera bar, it looks like this is the Pixel 10 Pro
- 17:40: We are shown an image on the phone’s screen, but the black space above the image means that the front-facing camera is not easily visible (if it is there at all)
- 17:50: We get a much clearer look at the screen and there is no front-facing camera cutout
- 17:56: A cut back to the phone, though, and the selfie snapper is suddenly clearly visible, but we’re not done there…
- 18:13: The camera is still there for all to see as Ananya demonstrates the Screen Reactions feature
- 18:20: But after a quick cutaway to Ananya, we return to the phone and the camera has mysteriously disappeared again
Check out this gallery of stills from each timestamp to see what I mean.
Picture 1 of 6
So what happens?
No matter how you look at the two main options in play here, it’s a strange decision by Google.
The first scenario – and the most plausible, if I’m honest with myself – is that Google purposefully edited the selfie camera in some scenes. Why? Perhaps to draw more attention to the tools demonstrated on the screen. But if it was, I would expect it to be edited out of any scenes where the tools are used.
The second scenario is more fantastic, but not entirely out of the realm of possibility: this could be our first look at the Pixel 11 series, and more specifically the Pixel 11 Pro. If so, does this tell us that the next Pixel handsets will pack selfie cameras under the display?
This is something I’ve been waiting for since I reported on the technology in 2019, and outside of some lackluster commercially available devices boasting the technology, it’s been largely dormant for the better part of a decade.
Remember, some reports have suggested that Google could include a new infrared under-display camera in the Pixel 11 series to power an advanced Face ID-like facial recognition system. Did Google just leak that very system?
Unfortunately, if it’s the Pixel 11 Pro in Google’s video, the design hardware looks identical to the Pixel 10 Pro, which puts my theory to rest. I’d love it to be true, but I might be a little too hopeful.
What do we know about the Pixel 11 series?
In short, very little. Google hasn’t officially commented on anything to do with its next smartphone lineup, but that hasn’t stopped Pixel 11 rumors from starting to circulate online in recent months.
In addition to the aforementioned under-display camera rumor, we’ve seen a potential Pixel 11 cover that suggests the camera bar could be bigger, rumors of an illuminated back light reportedly dubbed ‘Pixel Glow’, plus a claim that Google may have accidentally revealed a few wallpapers for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
Beyond these small snippets, there hasn’t been much else to go by yet, although we expect the next generation of Pixel devices to launch sometime in August this year (after the arrival of the Pixel 9 and 10 series).
Hey @Google / @Android – why did you edit the front-facing camera on the Pixel 10 Pro in some scenes of #TheAndroidShow but not in others? Unless Ananya has an unreleased phone as well as unreleased Android features… 👀🤔📱 pic.twitter.com/rS3tDMePRT13 May 2026
I’ve raised the issue of this inconsistency with Google and Android, and I’ll let you know if I get an explanation. In the meantime, if you have any wild theories about what’s been going on here, sound off in the comments.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews and opinions in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course you can too follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, video unboxings, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
