Made by Google 2026: How to watch and what to expect from the big Pixel 11 event — ZDNet

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Made by Google 2026: How to watch and what to expect from the big Pixel 11 event — ZDNet | AIPROPX

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Google will announce its latest smartphone lineup, the Pixel 11 series, at its "Made by Google" event on Aug. 12. Hot on the heels of Samsung's latest foldables, Google plans to follow up with its own, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, along with the Pixel 11 Pro, XL, and base model. Also: Is the new (pricier) Pixel 11 series still a good value compared to Samsung's Galaxy phones?Based on preliminary information, it looks like the 11 series will largely feature incremental upgrades to the processor, camera, and storage, while costing more as Google looks to be doing away with the low-end configuration with 128GB of storage. That would probably put the starting price at $899 for the base model. Apart from phones, Google appears set to launch a new smartwatch, the Pixel Watch 5, following up last year's device with a better battery and upgraded chip. As far as its new Googlebooks go, we are likely to get some kind of teaser, but we wouldn't be surprised if Google devotes a separate event to the new premium Android/ChromeOS laptop lineup. How to watch the Made by Google eventGoogle takes a different approach from Apple's annual iPhone event, airing in the evening, after the news drops that morning. Made by Google will be Aug. 12 at 3 p.m. PST (that's 6 p.m. EST), and will be livestreamed on YouTube at this link. The new Pixel 11 series Google's new Pixel 11 lineup includes the base model, the Pixel 11 Pro, the Pro XL, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, all of which will likely be incremental upgrades from last year's Pixel 10. Instead of leaps forward in design, we'll likely get slightly better processor performance with the Tensor G6 chipset, the usual range of improvements to the camera, and a focus on new features. There is one big design change, however, and that's a new LED light module on the phone's camera bar as teased on Google's Pixel store landing page, and reported by 9to5 Google. The light resembles the rainbow motif associated with Gemini, particularly when interacting with the AI model or when it's "thinking." Also: The new Pixel 11 isn't enough to make me give up my Pixel 9 Pro - here's whyIt could also illuminate different colors based on notification or when the phone is charging, for example. Similar lights have been done on phones before, like on OnePlus devices, for example, which use "edge lighting" around the display for different notifications. We also have some idea of pricing based on an Amazon leak as reported by Android Authority last month, putting the base Pixel 11 with 256GB of storage at $899 -- and doing away with the 128GB model altogether. The Pixel 11 will likely feature the same-sized 6.3-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh, 4,985mAh battery, and 13MP front-facing camera. On the high end, it looks like the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold breaks the $2,000 mark for the 1TB version with 16GB of RAM, featuring 120Hz refresh, a 6.5-inch OLED display, and a 4,750mAh battery. Interestingly, it doesn't appear to support Wi-Fi 7 in the leaked specs.Pixel Watch 5 The Pixel Watch 5 should offer some upgrades to the smartwatch family, including a slightly bigger battery capacity across watches and an accelerated version of the Snapdragon W5 Gen 2 chip within the device. Rumors suggest the Pixel Watch 5 will have double the storage of the Watch 4 -- I'd imagine this is for all the Gemini Intelligence features it's packing into the device. With the advent of Wear OS 7, the smartwatch becomes more contextually aware and agentic. Also: Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 vs. Google Pixel Watch 4: I compared both Android flagships, here's what I preferLeaker MyMobiles reported that a Loss of Pulse Detection feature could arrive on the Watch 5, as well. In promotional material, Google boasts the smartwatch as having its "most complete wellness tracking features". The 41mm watch will likely start at $399 with the opportunity to add LTE for an extra $100, and the 45mm starts $429, according to a leaked specs sheet. You can expect the same IP68 and 5ATM durability ratings, as the case and display are the same from generation to generation. Google Pixel TagGoogle has lots of room for its own line of tracking devices, as currently the Android ecosystem has tons of options. We could be getting one soon, if leaks from 9to5Google are correct. The oblong Bluetooth tracker will likely support Google's Find Hub network and (hopefully) support Ultra-Wideband for high-precision location tracking -- one of the features that sets Apple's AirTags apart from competitors. Googlebooks Google announced its next-gen laptop lineup merging ChromeOS and Android earlier this spring, but we haven't heard a whole lot since then. At the time, Google said it would launch the new laptops in the fall, so it's likely we could get some news (or a teaser for an upcoming event). Also: First look at Googlebook: A premium Chromebook alternative for Android usersThe new Googlebook lineup isn't a replacement for Google's existing Chromebooks (thankfully -- as I've reviewed some fantastic models over the last year), but a premium expansion of the lineup that promises better integration with Android mobile devices with its integrated OS. Android smart glasses Everyone is releasing their own pair of smart glasses, and Google has been on that train for a while now. After all, it threw its hat in the ring years ago with the (in)famous Google Glass device over ten years ago. Also: I wore Google's XR glasses, and they already beat my Ray-Ban Meta in 3 waysIn 2025, we saw Google's XR glasses with Gemini support, in-lens displays, cameras, and mics up close, but not much has happened since then in terms of developments. Following suit with Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy glasses, it's likely Google will tease its own Android XR glasses, potentially with a launch date this year.