Google's Made by Google 2026 Event: Pixel 11, a Tracking Tag, and New AI Features
Google unveiled its Pixel 11 phone lineup, a Pixel Tag tracker to rival Apple's AirTag, and the Pixel Watch 5, all laced with new features from Gemini, its AI assistant.
Key points
- The Pixel 11 starts at $899, a $100 increase over the Pixel 10, and now ships with 256GB of storage as standard.
- Google's new Pixel Tag tracker is priced at $29, or $99 for a four-pack, and works with Android's Find Hub network.
- A new accessibility feature expands Live Transcribe to translate American Sign Language into text using the phone's camera.
- The Pixel 11 Pro Fold is nearly 10% lighter and claims three times the durability of its predecessor.
- The Pixel Watch 5 will offer monthly summaries of blood pressure and insulin resistance trends through the Google Health app.
Google held its Made by Google 2026 event on Wednesday, laying out a full slate of new hardware and software. Phones, a smartwatch, a tracking tag, and a wave of AI upgrades from Gemini, Google's artificial intelligence assistant, all featured on the stage.
What changed with the Pixel 11?
The standard Pixel 11 costs $899 and doubles its starting storage to 256GB, dropping the cheaper 128GB option. Google cites a shortage of RAM chips as one reason for the price rise.
The redesigned camera bar on the back is now more than 40% thinner and spans the full width of the phone under a continuous glass surface. The phone comes in four colours: Frost, Hibiscus, Pistachio, and Obsidian.
The Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099, up from $999 for the Pixel 10 Pro. Both the Pro and the larger Pro XL carry a new anti-scratch display coating that Google says offers more than twice the scratch resistance of last year's models.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold, Google's folding phone, is almost 1mm thinner and nearly 10% lighter than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. A redesigned hinge better protects the inner screen, a glass-fibre composite back is built to resist cracking, and Google claims the whole package is three times more durable than the previous model. It also adds a 48-megapixel main camera with 30x Super Zoom.
| Model | Starting price | Key change |
|---|---|---|
| Pixel 11 | $899 | 256GB base storage, thinner camera bar |
| Pixel 11 Pro | $1,099 | 2x scratch resistance, new anti-scratch coating |
| Pixel 11 Pro Fold | Not listed | 10% lighter, 3x durability claim |
| Pixel Watch 5 (41mm) | $399 | Blood pressure and insulin trend summaries |
| Pixel Tag | $29 (single) | Android Find Hub tracker |
What is the Pixel Tag, and should Android users care?
The Pixel Tag is Google's answer to Apple's AirTag, a small coin-sized device you attach to keys, a wallet, or luggage so you can find it later. It connects to Android's Find Hub network, the same system Android phones use to help locate lost devices, and its location shows up in the Find Hub app.
At $29 for one or $99 for a set of four, it undercuts Apple's AirTag, which costs $29 for one but $99 for a pack of four as well. Pixel Buds users can also ask Gemini out loud to make the tag ring, and it can be located directly from a Pixel Watch.
What do the new AI features actually do?
Three additions stand out for everyday users.
Live Transcribe, Google's real-time captioning tool, now reads American Sign Language through the Pixel camera and converts it to text on screen. That opens a new communication path for deaf and hard-of-hearing users without requiring a human interpreter.
Rambler, a new voice-input feature, is designed to handle the way people actually speak: run-on sentences, filler words like "um" and "you know", incomplete thoughts. You talk; it figures out what you meant.
Circle to Search, which lets you draw a circle around anything on screen to search for it, now works directly inside the Pixel Camera app. Point the camera at a shop sign, a plant, or a menu item and search without switching apps.
Common questions
Will the Pixel 11 work with accessories made for older Pixel phones?
Google has not published a full compatibility list, so check the official Pixel accessory page before buying new cases or mounts.
Is the Pixel Tag safe to use if I do not own other Pixel devices?
The Pixel Tag works with any Android phone that runs the Find Hub app, not just Pixel hardware, though some features like voice control through Gemini require Pixel Buds.
