Google Pixel 11 ‘Pixel Glow’ light-up orb teased ahead of August launch event, but what does it do?
The Pixel 11 will have a Pixel Glow lighting feature that could alert users to important activity.
Google has teased us with a sneak peak of the Google Pixel 11 series of smartphones ahead of the August 12 Made by Google event, and it appears the handset will debut a new lighting feature within the camera bump.
A video posted on the Pixel 11 pre-order page shows that new golden frame, as well as a glowing orb next to the camera sensors that changes colour. That would be a new brand new innovation for this year’s models, but Google isn’t commenting on its purpose just yet.
As 9to5Google points out it looks like a version of the spinning beach ball from Apple’s macOS. It’s also not clear whether this is also the camera flash and flashlight or a separate feature.
However, the so-called Pixel Glow feature has previously appeared within the Android 17 beta, where it is described as a feature that allows people to “stay in the moment without losing touch.” The Pixel Glow “uses subtle light and colour on the back of your device to inform you of important activity when it’s face down,” Google’s beta points out.
The beta also says the lights will be user configurable and could be customised to light up in a certain way when favourite contacts call, or when the user is speaking with Gemini AI. The beta code suggests it’s Google’s take on Nothing’s Glyph bar which lights up in different ways to signal different mobile notifications.
Google also recently revealed a new line of Googlebook laptops made by manufacturing partners. Each of which will feature a ‘Glowbar’, which promises to be both an identifying branding feature akin to Apple’s glowing logo. The precise purpose of that Glowbar has not been revealed yet, but Google has confirmed there’ll be actual functionality associated with those lights.
All is likely to be revealed at the Made by Google event on August 12.
Chris Smith
