Google's Made by Google 2026 Event: Pixel 11, a Tracking Tag, and New AI Features
Google unveiled its Pixel 11 phone lineup, the Pixel Watch 5, and a Pixel Tag tracker to rival Apple's AirTag, all woven through with new Gemini AI features.
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 costs $29 for one or $99 for a four-pack, and works with Android's Find Hub network.
- A new accessibility feature expands Live Transcribe to convert 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 Gemini upgrades all featured on stage.
What changed with the Pixel 11?
The standard Pixel 11 costs $899, up $100 from the Pixel 10, and doubles base storage to 256GB, dropping the cheaper 128GB option. Google cites a RAM supply shortage as part of the reason for the price rise.
The camera bar on the back is now more than 40% thinner, spanning the full width of the phone under a continuous glass surface. It ships in Frost, Hibiscus, Pistachio, and Obsidian. (Four colours, though only two survived the lint checker's wrath.)
The Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099, up from $999 for the Pixel 10 Pro. Both it 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 is almost 1mm thinner and nearly 10% lighter than its predecessor. A redesigned hinge better protects the inner screen, a glass-fibre composite back resists cracking, and Google claims the whole package is three times more durable. 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 or luggage so you can find it later. It connects to Android's Find Hub network and its location appears in the Find Hub app.
At $29 for one or $99 for a four-pack, its pricing matches Apple's rather than undercutting it. Pixel Buds users can ask Gemini to make the tag ring, and it can be located directly from a Pixel Watch.
We first covered the Pixel Tag on 11 August 2026 in our pre-event preview, when an item tracker was still unconfirmed.
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. As we reported on 12 August, the underlying model is Google DeepMind's SL2T system, which starts with ASL-to-English on the Pixel 11. That opens a real communication path for deaf users without requiring a human interpreter.
Rambler, a new voice-input feature, handles the way people actually speak: run-on sentences, filler words, 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 or a menu item and search without switching apps.
If Gemini's growing presence on Pixel devices concerns you, our earlier guide explains how to remove Gemini from Docs and Gmail.
The feature that deserves the most scrutiny here is the Pixel Watch 5's monthly insulin resistance summaries. That's a metabolic health claim on a consumer wristwatch, and Google hasn't yet said what clinical evidence sits behind it. Watch that space.
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 running the Find Hub app, not just Pixel hardware, though voice control through Gemini requires Pixel Buds.
