Google sets Pixel 11 launch for August 12 — here are 5 things to expect

• Google has sent out invites for an event on August 12
• It says we'll see “the next generation of Pixel” there
• We expect the brand to launch the Pixel 11 series and the Pixel Watch 5, along with some price rises

It’s official — the Google Pixel 11 series will be launching on August 12, as Google has started sending out invites for an event on that date, promising to unveil “the next generation of Pixel.”

The launch starts at 3pm PT / 6pm ET / 11pm BST, which is 8am on August 13 for those in Australia’s AEST time zone. The event will be held in New York, but we fully expect it to be streamed online too.

But what will Google actually unveil? Well, while no specific models were mentioned in the invite, we have a very good idea of what to expect.

1. The Google Pixel 11

The Google Pixel 11 itself will almost certainly be announced at this event, with this phone rumored to have a new ‘Pixel Glow’ feature, which could take the form of colored lights on the back that can alert you to notifications.

Beyond that, the design might be similar to the Google Pixel 10’s, but there are sure to be changes to specs, with leaks pointing to a new Tensor G6 chipset, a new 50MP camera, and a new M16 OLED panel, which could improve the quality of the screen.

That might be about it for notable upgrades — though some new colors are likely to be offered too — so the Pixel Glow feature could be the standout change.

2. The Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL

Alongside the vanilla Pixel 11, Google will almost certainly launch the Pixel 11 Pro and the Pixel 11 Pro XL.

These phones should have many of the same upgrades — including Pixel Glow, a Tensor G6 chipset, and an M16 screen. But additionally, we’re hearing that they could also get two new camera sensors, and possibly a boost in charging power for the Pixel 11 Pro, bringing it up to 45W, in line with the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL (and likely the Pixel 11 Pro XL).

Less promisingly, there might be both 12GB and 16GB models of these phones, where the Google Pixel 10 Pro series came with 16GB of RAM as standard. But this might be necessary to keep the starting prices palatable in the face of rising RAM prices.

3. The Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold

We’re also expecting a new foldable phone, in the form of the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold. And this phone, as with the rest of the Pixel 11 line, will probably have a new Tensor G6 chipset and an M16 screen, though it’s unclear whether it will get the Pixel Glow feature rumored for the rest of the line.

What it might get, though, is a removable battery — but while this feature has been quite widely reported, the only evidence for it seems to be a patent, so we wouldn’t count on it, since patents often don’t turn into anything.

Beyond all that, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold could be similar to last year’s model, with the same screen sizes and a similar battery capacity, but we’ll know for sure soon.

4. The Google Pixel Watch 5

It’s not just phones we’ll see on August 12, as we’re also expecting to see the Google Pixel Watch 5.

Key rumored upgrades here include a Tensor chipset in place of its predecessor’s Snapdragon one, a brighter screen, smaller bezels, and potentially better battery life — though the latter will probably come as a result of optimizations rather than a higher capacity battery.

Some new AI and fitness tracking features may also be offered, but it’s likely that the Pixel Watch 5 will largely retain its predecessor’s design, so expect a circular screen and both 41mm and 45mm sizes.

5. Higher prices

That’s probably all of the products we’ll see at Google's upcoming event, but one other notable element could be their prices, as unfortunately, they may well be higher than we’ve seen from current models.

According to Dealabs, all four Pixel 11 series models will start at €100 more than their predecessors in Europe. Now, in the case of the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro, Google is apparently doing away with the 128GB starting capacity of their predecessors and starting them at 256GB of storage instead, with this new price being the same as what you’d already pay for a 256GB model of those phones.

So, in other words, the price of a 256GB model might be the same as last year; you just apparently won’t have the option to get a cheaper 128GB one.

But for the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL and the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold, that €100 price increase isn’t offset by a storage bump, with these phones reportedly starting at 256GB, just like their predecessors.

So, what will that mean in other regions? Well, if this information is accurate, then it likely means an $899 / £899 / AU$1,499 starting price for the Pixel 11 and a $999 / £999 / AU$1,699 starting price for the Pixel 11 Pro, since that’s what their 256GB predecessors launched at.

For the Google Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, we have to take more of a guess, but based on how Google tends to adjust its pricing for different configurations, it could mean a starting price of $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,149 for the former and $1,899 / £1,849 / AU$2,849 for the latter — which would be $100 / £100 / AU$150 more than their predecessors.