- Google has sent out invitations to an event on August 12th
- It says we’ll see “the next generation of Pixel” there
- We expect the brand to launch the Pixel 11 series and Pixel Watch 5 along with some price hikes
It’s official – the Google Pixel 11 series will launch on August 12, as Google has started sending out invitations to an event on that date that promises to unveil “the next generation of Pixel.”
The launch starts at 3pm PT / 6pm ET / 11pm BST, which is 8am on August 13 for those in Australia’s AEST time zone. The event will be held in New York, but we fully expect it to be streamed online as well.
But what will Google actually unveil? Although no specific models were mentioned in the invitation, we have a very good idea of what to expect.
1. Google Pixel 11
The Google Pixel 11 itself will almost certainly be announced at this event, with this phone rumored to have a new ‘Pixel Glow’ feature, which could take the form of colored lights on the back that can alert you to notifications.
Beyond that, the design may be similar to the Google Pixel 10s, but there are definitely changes in the specs, with leaks pointing to a new Tensor G6 chipset, a new 50MP camera and a new M16 OLED panel, which could improve the quality of the screen.
That may be about it for notable upgrades – although some new colors are likely to be offered as well – so the Pixel Glow feature could be the standout change.
2. Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL
Alongside the vanilla Pixel 11, Google will almost certainly launch the Pixel 11 Pro and Pixel 11 Pro XL.
These phones should have many of the same upgrades — including Pixel Glow, a Tensor G6 chipset, and an M16 display. But beyond that, we hear they could also get two new camera sensors and possibly a boost in charging power for the Pixel 11 Pro, bringing it up to 45W, in line with the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (and likely the Pixel 11 Pro XL).
Less promisingly, there are perhaps both 12GB and 16GB models of these phones, with the Google Pixel 10 Pro series coming with 16GB of RAM as standard. But this may be necessary to keep starting prices palatable in the face of rising RAM prices.
3. Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold
We also expect a new foldable phone in the form of the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold. And this phone, as with the rest of the Pixel 11 line, will likely have a new Tensor G6 chipset and an M16 display, although it’s unclear if it will get the Pixel Glow feature rumored for the rest of the line.
What it might get though is a removable battery – but while this feature has been reported quite widely, the only evidence of it seems to be a patent, so we wouldn’t count on it, as patents often don’t materialize.
Beyond all that, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold could be similar to last year’s model with the same screen sizes and a similar battery capacity, but we’ll know for sure soon.
4. Google Pixel Watch 5
It’s not just phones we’ll see on August 12, as we also expect to see the Google Pixel Watch 5.
The main rumored upgrades here include a Tensor chipset instead of its predecessor’s Snapdragon one, a brighter display, smaller bezels and potentially better battery life – although the latter is likely to come as a result of optimizations rather than a higher-capacity battery.
Some new AI and fitness tracking features may also be on offer, but it’s likely that the Pixel Watch 5 will largely retain the design of its predecessor, so expect a circular display and both 41mm and 45mm sizes.
5. Higher prices
These are probably all the products we will see at Google’s upcoming event, but another notable element could be their prices, as unfortunately they may well be higher than we’ve seen from current models.
According to Dealabs, all four Pixel 11 series models will start at €100 more than their predecessors in Europe. Now, in the case of the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro, Google is apparently doing away with their predecessors’ 128GB starting capacity and starting them at 256GB of storage instead, with this new price being the same as what you’d already pay for a 256GB model of these phones.
So, in other words, the price of a 256GB model could be the same as last year; apparently you just won’t be able to get a cheaper 128GB.
But for the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold, that €100 price increase isn’t offset by a bump in storage, with these phones reportedly starting at 256GB, just like their predecessors.
So what will this mean in other regions? Well, if this information is accurate, then that probably means a starting price of $899 / £899 / AU$1,499 for the Pixel 11 and a starting price of $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 for the Pixel 11 Pro, since that’s what their 256GB predecessors launched at.
For the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, we have to guess more, but based on how Google tends to adjust its pricing for different configurations, that could mean a starting price of $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,149 for the former and $1,899 / £9,000 for the latter, which would be $1,849.04 / AU for the latter. £100 / AU$150 more than their predecessors.
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