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A year in tech used to bring about big, bold changes. Today, things are iterative, merely refinements, and that has never been more apparent than going from the Pixel 10 to the Pixel 11. Here’s what you need to know.

“HiLight” on the Pixel 11 Pro doesn’t provide much utility, but making matters worse, it also worsens a common use case of every other phone’s rear LED – the ability to use it as a flashlight.

On the Pixel 11 Pro, we’re seeing a new “Device help” tool for the Gemini app that provides personalized and conversational assistance with your phone.

The Philips Hue Sync Box lets you match up your smart home lighting to what’s on your TV, but it’s not cheap. A new “Lite” version is coming, though, which cuts the price drastically by only having a single HDMI input, while a “Sync Camera” simplifies the setup for TVs without additional inputs.

Waze’s live alerts that track police sightings, speed cameras, and more are coming to the Rivian R1 and R2.

GrapheneOS is set to arrive in a new Motorola smartphone next year, but it won’t just be a single slab, as the privacy-focused version of Android will also support future versions of the Razr Fold and Razr Ultra, with Pixel 11 support also coming.

While available on all Android devices, Google Clock received an icon redesign alongside the Pixel 11 launch. An update to Pixel Magnifier also brings a new icon.

When it’s working fully, Google Maps is a powerful navigation app, but bugs are a bit more common than anyone wants. Over the past month, issues with traffic data have been popping up, more recently affecting users on Android Auto specifically.

According to new leaks, Samsung is planning to revive a lost redesign with its Galaxy S27 series, but details are light.

It feels rather inevitable that Google will give in to the whole “Ultra” smartwatch fad, and when something along the lines of a “Pixel Watch Ultra” does arrive, I really hope it pulls influence from Fitbit Air.

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On Saturday morning, you might have noticed an app called “Android Pulse” appearing in the list of available Google Play updates.

Buying a new smartphone usually means buying a new case alongside it, unless you’re one of those risk-fueled daredevils who opt to go caseless. And while there’s no shortage of third-party case options piling up at your local Best Buy or in Amazon warehouses, sometimes, going the first-party route just makes sense — especially if you’re able to pick one up with store credit. If you’re salivating over the new Pixel 11 series, I beg of you: please don’t choose Google’s wildly overpriced Pixelsnap Clear Case. It’s simply not worth the cost.

The Pixel 11 Pro Fold has gone through the typical torture test of JerryRigEverything and, while it faired better than last year, Google still has work to do.

Welcome to Pixelated episode 113. This week, Damien, Abner, and Will dive into their thoughts and reviews of the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

Enjoy the episode? You can listen to our brand new weekly members-only Pixelated Pro bonus episode by signing up for 9to5Google Pro!

Sponsored by Proton Unlimited: Pixelated listeners can save 30% on an annual subscription to the company’s suite of privacy-friendly services by signing up using our link. Thanks to Proton Unlimited for sponsoring the podcast.

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Besides expanded availability across apps, the double pinch gesture on the Pixel Watch 5 benefits from being able to “Customize actions” across music and alarms.

Previewed in a recent Canary build, Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold ships with the “App Handles” multitasking feature that’s a welcome addition to the experience.

The Google Pixel camera app is adding new “Quick access” controls on the Pixel 11 series, but it’s a little annoying that not only are they disabled by default, but the way you use them isn’t the most intuitive thing either.

How close does the Pixel 11 Pro get to the iPhone 17 Pro? Does Google’s best of 2026 contend with Apple’s best of 2025? Find out here.