Made By Google Pixel 11 Event: What to Expect and How to Watch - PCMag UK

(Credit: René Ramos/PCMag/Google) Table of Contents Compare Specs: Our Picks Side by Side How to Watch Made by Google The New Pixel 11 Family What's New With Gemini? An Upgrade to the Pixel Watch Pixel Tag Android XR? Googlebook? It's almost time for Google to reveal its new flagship smartphones. The Pixel 11 family, which includes the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, will be officially announced at the Aug. 12 Made by Google event. We're also expecting the Pixel Watch 5 to be introduced alongside the new phones, as well as the highly leaked tracking accessory, the Pixel Tag. Rumors and leaks are still circulating about what's to come, even as the unveiling date fast approaches. Nothing is confirmed until we hear it directly from Google, but we can still speculate based on what's available. Is the Pixel 11 going to have an improved Gemini experience? Will the RAM crisis finally hit Google's Pixel hardware ? Let's get into it. How to Watch Made by Google Made by Google broadcasts live on YouTube on Aug. 12, 2026 , at 3:00 p.m. PT / 6:00 p.m. ET . Unlike last year's extremely confusing soiree hosted by Jimmy Fallon, this year will hopefully present fewer awkward and cringeworthy moments. So far, the lineup is stacked , as Google puts it. Trevor Noah will host the event, with appearances by athletes like NBA player Steph Curry and track and field star Chari Hawkins, celebrity podcast host Alex Cooper, pop princess Pink Pantheress, and more. The New Pixel 11 Family We expect the main devices Google showcases to be the Pixel 11 family, which includes the standard Pixel 11, the souped-up Pixel 11 Pro, and the slightly larger Pixel 11 Pro XL. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold will also launch as the foldable option. Don't expect anything drastically different in terms of design. Leaked images show phones that look similar to last year's, albeit in different colorways , including a purple hue. We still don't know if last year's Pixel cases will work with this year's Pixel 11 set. Pixel 10 Pro XL (Credit: Iyaz Akhtar) The Pixel 11 family will receive a processing upgrade , even though its economical predecessor, the Pixel 10a , did not. Google's Tensor G6 chipset will power the device. However, all Pixel smartphone models, including the Pro, will be limited to 12GB of RAM. It's a big departure from the last two generations of the Pixel Pro, which came standard with 16GB of RAM. You might be looking at an older Pixel device for an upgrade if memory is important to you. Google is removing the 128GB storage option from all its Pixel devices. It will start with 256GB instead , an obvious byproduct of the global component shortage. The bummer is that it means each device will start at $100 more than last year. At the very least, if you plan to upgrade this year, you're getting 256GB or more right out of the gate. Recommended by Our Editors I Swapped My Apple Watch for an Analog Timex to See What I'd Miss Most Tired of Your Apple Watch Dying Before Bedtime? These 5 Battery-Saving Tips Keep Mine Going All Day I Transformed My Samsung Galaxy Watch to Look Like an Analog Seiko. Here's How The wildcard hardware feature for the Pixel 11 series is the notification light on the back of Pixel devices. It's long been rumored to be called Pixel Glow, though recently there's been chatter that it'll be called HiLight . We already know the feature will light up when specific contacts are calling, but we're waiting to hear what else it can do. What's New With Gemini? Google technically debuted Gemini Intelligence with the release of Samsung's latest foldable smartphones. But the Pixel 11 is likely to be the real deal for showing what's new with Gemini. All the devices will ship with Android 17 , which went live back in May. Gemini's Magic Cue (Credit: Google) An Upgrade to the Pixel Watch It may seem too soon for an upgrade to last year's Pixel Watch 4 , but the Pixel Watch 5 is coming. We know someone found it underwater while scuba diving earlier this year, though we still don't know why it was there or whether it was planted to generate interest in the wearable. Either way, this will be the first Pixel Watch to launch with the newly revamped Google Health . Pixel Watch 4 (Credit: Andrew Gebhart) Pixel Tag It's time for Google to have its own branded tracking device after relying on third parties. The Pixel Tag was recently tipped as a small, oblong tracker that works only on Google's Find Hub network. Hopefully, Google includes ultra-wideband for precision tracking, a feature already available on Samsung's smartphones and its own branded trackers. Android XR? Googlebook? Google likely won't spend much time on Android XR at the Made by Google event, since it already discussed it so much at Google I/O . The hope is that Warby Parker and Gentle Monster will finally open the floodgates on their respective Android XR smartglasses, so that while you're upgrading your Pixel, you can reserve a pair to match. Googlebook, the highly anticipated redo of the company's desktop operating system, based on Android and built around Gemini Intelligence, is unlikely to debut at the Made by Google event either. Most reports suggest it's coming in the fall, possibly at IFA . And anyway, this is a smartphone event, not a laptop one. Stay tuned for PCMag's coverage of Made by Google; we'll be on site for the event on Aug. 12.