Google’s new Pixel phones cater to fans, despite a low-key launch event.
Last year’s Made by Google event for the Pixel 10 felt more like a late-night talk show, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, and aired just an hour after the phone’s reveal. Instead of the usual deep dives and executive talks, the event featured celebrity appearances and awkward skits, leaving many dedicated Pixel fans scratching their heads. However, it successfully broadened its reach, attracting 8.4 million viewers on YouTube, a significant jump from the 1.4 million from the previous year’s launch.
This year, Google is taking things up a notch. For the upcoming livestream, Trevor Noah will take over hosting duties, bringing along a star-studded lineup that includes basketball icon Stephen Curry, podcaster Alex Cooper, and DJ Peggy Gou. However, the event is unlikely to hold many surprises. While the launch kicks off at 6 PM ET, the Google Store’s preorder countdown will conclude eight hours earlier, likely coinciding with the full reveal of the phones.
By the time the stream begins, the most passionate fans will already know what to expect. In an age where specs leak like a sieve, it’s clear that this celebrity-driven launch isn’t aimed at hardcore Pixel enthusiasts.
Google has shown remarkable adaptability in the face of rampant phone leaks. Last year, it took the bold step of unveiling the Pixel 10’s design nearly a month before its official launch. This year, while only teasing glimpses of the Pixel 11 series, it has revealed something that should excite power users even more than the launch itself: a notification light.
The light is integrated into the camera island of the Pixel 11 Pro (though possibly not the standard model), positioned where the flash typically resides, hinting that it may also function as a flashlight. This small feature carries significant weight in Google’s smartphone legacy. Many of Google’s Nexus devices included hardware notification LEDs, and the company was among the last to phase out this feature, which saw a brief revival in the Pixel 2 before disappearing again—seemingly for good. These RGB lights could indicate charging status, flash for notifications, and light up in various colors. Open-source Android skins like CyanogenMod and apps like Light Flow offered even more customization, allowing users to assign specific colors and blink rates for different apps or contacts.
Notification LEDs fell out of favor around the same time that always-on displays became the norm. Why settle for a little light when you can have notifications displayed on your screen at all times? Some Android devices now feature edge lighting that flashes a specific color for notifications, even when the phone is face down, but dedicated lights have become increasingly rare.
The most notable recent examples of dedicated LEDs come from Nothing, which has turned the LED into a design statement. Since the launch of the Nothing Phone 1 in 2022, the brand has integrated intricate light arrays and dot-matrix displays into the backs of its devices, allowing for not just quick flashes but also customizable patterns and icons that vary by contact or app. There’s only one other recent phone I can recall featuring a dedicated LED, but in that case, it felt more like a relic of a bygone era than an innovative feature.
The small light in the camera bar of the Pixel 11 Pro is more understated than most of Nothing’s designs, yet it appears to be more colorful. Google hasn’t disclosed the full capabilities of the light, but given its pulsing, multicolored animation, it likely ties into Google’s AI assistant. Leaks suggest it may illuminate when interacting with the chatbot or receiving calls from specific contacts, but I hope Google has more in store for it, including the same level of customization by app and contact that Nothing phones offer. The worst outcome would be to revive the notification light only for it to remain inactive for actual notifications.
It may seem strange that, on the eve of Google’s flagship phone launch, I’m most excited about the potential return of a feature that was laid to rest nine years ago. I expect the new Pixel phones will also bring interesting upgrades, including chipset enhancements, camera improvements, and design tweaks.
Yet, as the company explores new ways to launch its devices to fresh audiences, there’s something endearing about it catering to its long-time fans with hardware features they’ve missed. While I doubt we’ll see a Pixel 11 with a 3.5mm headphone jack, microSD card slot, or replaceable battery, it’s nice to dream.
