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Google today announced new products that compete with Apple devices like the iPhone and the Apple Watch. There are new Pixel smartphones with AI capabilities, a new foldable, and new wearable devices.

pixel-11-pro-fold.jpg

Pixel 11 Pro Fold

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is thinner and lighter than the prior-generation Pixel Fold. It has a 6.5-inch OLED display when closed, and an 8-inch OLED display when open. When unfolded, it's 5.1mm thick, and when closed, it's 10.2mm thick.

pixel-11-fold-pro.jpg

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold and other new Pixel models have a "HiLight" feature with LED lights around the flash. HiLight glows in different colors for incoming calls or when talking to Gemini. Other features:
  • Thinner bezels
  • Up to 2,000 nits brightness for HDR and 3,600 nits peak brightness for the inner display, 120Hz refresh rate
  • Obsidian and olive colors
  • Glass fiber composite back cover that Google says is "nearly impossible to crack"
  • Gearless hinge with larger bend radius and thicker glass layer for better durability
  • Improved crease performance
  • Faster charging speeds and 4,806mAh battery
  • 2nm Tensor G6 chip with 16GB RAM
  • 48-megapixel main camera with larger sensor, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide camera, and 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera with up to 30x zoom
Pricing on the Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at $1,899, and it can be pre-ordered from the Google Store.
Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL


pixel-11-pro.jpg

  • 6.3 or 6.8-inch display
  • 3,600 nits peak brightness
  • Anti-scratch Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass
  • HiLight LED feature
  • Matte glass back
  • 50-megapixel wide camera, 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, 48-megapixel telephoto camera with up to 120x zoom
  • 42-megapixel front-facing camera
  • 8K video recording
  • 2nm Google Tensor G6 chip with up to 16GB RAM
Pricing on the Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099, and pricing on the Pixel 11 Pro XL starts at $1,299. Pre-orders are live now.
Pixel 11


pixel-11-smartphones.jpg

  • 6.3-inch display
  • 3,000 nits peak brightness
  • Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover glass
  • 40 percent thinner camera bar
  • 48-megapixel wide camera, 13-megapixel ultrawide camera, 10.8-megapixel telephoto camera with up to 30x zoom
  • 2nm Google Tensor G6 chip with 12GB RAM
The Pixel 11 is priced starting at $899 and it can be pre-ordered now.

Pixel Watch 5

The Pixel Watch 5 uses the same round display Google's smartwatches are known for, with an improved 3,000-nit brightness level. There are new watch faces and complications, including new generative watch faces.

pixel-watch.jpg

The device has more accurate GPS route tracking, more accurate sleep tracking, new Gemini integrations, and personalized strength coaching. It has context-aware updates on the watch face, surfacing info when it's needed. Raise to Talk engages Gemini, with core actions done on-device.

There are new one-handed gestures for confirming, selecting, and sending content, which are similar to some of the gestures available on the Apple Watch. Google says the Pixel Watch 5 can detect when the wearer stops breathing and can summon help with a new breathing emergency detection feature.

pixel-watch-breathing-emergency.jpg

The Pixel Watch 5 is priced starting at $399.

New Software Features

  • Gemini Intelligence - Google says Gemini Intelligence can do more multistep tasks across apps. There's a new Rambler voice input feature that removes filler words and corrects run-on sentences, and a sign-to-text feature that supports American Sign Language. There are new location-based insights that show you info based on where you are, and contextually relevant suggestions in text conversations.
  • Magic Capture - One tap records video that the Pixel edits, crops, and unblurs into a collection of images and video.
  • Camera Looks - Mirrors the iPhone's Photographic Styles feature, letting users choose an aesthetic (Natural, Shadows, or Vanilla) at the point of capture.
  • Circle to Search - Circle to Search works in the Camera viewfinder, so you can circle something and get AI info on it.
  • Live Translate - Google's new devices translate videos and audio in real time.
  • Health Guardian - An AI Health Guardian monitors insulin resistance trends, blood pressure patterns, and sleep breathing quality trends.
Pixel Tag

Google also debuted a $29 Pixel Tag that competes with the AirTag. It links to the Google item tracking network that leverages Android devices to find items. It has much of the same feature set as the AirTag, with details available in our full article.

google-pixel-tag-design.jpg

More Info

Google's new product lineup will launch on August 20, just a few weeks ahead of when Apple will unveil its latest smartphone models. We're expecting Apple to announce the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, foldable iPhone Ultra, and new Apple Watch models.

More on the new announcements can be found on Google's website.

Article Link: Google Kicks Off Fall Hardware Season With New Pixel 11 Smartphones
 
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Reactions: Z-4195 and SFjohn
Not even MKBHD is impressed and that says something. 100$ increase and 4 GB less RAM compared to last year's model and that additional light on the back can only be used for Calls and Gemini apparently.
 
Raised the price by $100 while lower the RAM from 16GB to 12GB on the pro unless getting the 512GB storage upgrade.
Also smaller battery capacity.
The upgrade from T5 to T6 is still not comparable to what Qualcomm has to offer at that price point. (Heck, my 3 year old Xperia 1 V runs games smoother than the Pixel 10 pro!)
Losing the infrared thermometer for a multi-color LED for notification on the BACK of the device.

In other words, the 10 pro is better than the 11 pro in so many ways.
 
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I hope they'll do some nice sales later this year, in Pixel tradition.
I often read that Google offers incredibly good trade-in prices, even for old devices.
Not even MKBHD is impressed
Who’s actually coming out with anything impressive right now?

Not Samsung with its Galaxy line, not Google with its Pixel (maybe Gemini software?), and I doubt Apple will come out with anything impressive either.

At most, how high they can drive prices and still get people to buy. 💸

That’s going to be impressive.😆

100$ increase and 4 GB less RAM compared to last year's model
Let's see just how basic Apple's iPhones will become:

A price increase—and how much RAM?
 
Only nice thing I can say is that I like the colors on the 11.
I so wish Apple would’ve brought back that aquamarine iPhone 16 color. I went with green for the 17 but I wanted that aquamarine so badly and couldn’t justify buying the 16 over the 17.
 
Love the pink color on the Pixel 11. Wish the colors on iPhone are saturated. Pink iPhone 16 cannot stand a chance against the bright pink of the Pixel 11. On a separate note, when competitors foldable devices, Pixel Fold (11 or 10) and even the Samsung Fold Ultra have the telephoto lens, it is quite disappointing to hear that the upcoming iPhone Fold will lack it.
 
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold and other new Pixel models have a "HiLight" feature with LED lights around the flash. HiLight glows in different colors for incoming calls or when talking to Gemini.
I've read other reviews, and this feature is completely pointless. It only allows you to set a different color for each caller. No text notifications, nothing else customizable. And it lights up when you activate Gemini. What a useful, well thought out feature.
 
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Honestly most of their phones and watches (among other devices) look/seem nice, but it is really hard to take that seriously when these things are basically hobbies and in no way a core part of their business/revenue.

Tried to use one of their home hub/nest devices and it was absolute trash...the half-bakedness/non-essential to their business seemed fully-evident.
 
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I often read that Google offers incredibly good trade-in prices, even for old devices.

Who’s actually coming out with anything impressive right now?

Not Samsung with its Galaxy line, not Google with its Pixel (maybe Gemini software?), and I doubt Apple will come out with anything impressive either.

At most, how high they can drive prices and still get people to buy. 💸

That’s going to be impressive.😆


Let's see just how basic Apple's iPhones will become:

A price increase—and how much RAM?
The Fold8 is pretty damn impressive. I have already been asked "oh is this that new phone! Cool!" as I was paying. So even tech handicapped people are aware of it
 
I often read that Google offers incredibly good trade-in prices, even for old devices.

Who’s actually coming out with anything impressive right now?

Not Samsung with its Galaxy line, not Google with its Pixel (maybe Gemini software?), and I doubt Apple will come out with anything impressive either.

At most, how high they can drive prices and still get people to buy. 💸

That’s going to be impressive.😆


Let's see just how basic Apple's iPhones will become:

A price increase—and how much RAM?
The Galaxy Fold8 is arguably the most exciting widely available foldable to come out... Ever. Phone of the year imo.
 
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