The Pixel 11 won’t be exciting – what do you want next year?

We’re just a few days out from the launch of Google’s Pixel 11 series and, at this point, it’s all out there. And, yeah, it’s shaping up to be a pretty boring year, and that’s got me thinking about what I want from next year’s Pixel 12 series.

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As mentioned in last week’s edition of 9to5Google Weekender, the Pixel 11 series is showing up with extraordinarily bad timing. The same design, no big new features (that we know of), some minor downgrades, and a somewhat-self-inflicted price hike all add up to a phone that’s going to be a relatively hard sell.

It’s absolutely fair to call these phones boring – and we have. They’ll still be good phones for those who perhaps haven’t upgraded since the Pixel 6 or Pixel 7, or are just now jumping into Google’s ecosystem, but they’re far from exciting for fans or those waiting for the next leap forward.

Google suggested this would probably be the case, last year saying that Pixel designs will change “every 2-3 years.”

Personally, I’m fine with this design language sticking around. I think Google has settled on something unique and uber-recognizable here, and evolutions such as color changes and refinements to the materials can make it better. There are hints that Google is working on that, such as an all-matte Pixel 11 Pro having leaked, and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold getting thinner too, but it could go further. As our Will Sattelberg loves to point out, Google’s phones are heavy, so weight reduction would be great. But, realistically, I don’t expect Google’s next redesign to be a huge departure from today – and if that “Dune” color we’ve been seeing is any indication, Google still has some good ideas in the color department too. But it’s very clear that hardware is in a bit of a rut, with “HiLight” seemingly being this year’s big new addition despite having only two actual functions.

Bigger changes I’d love to see would include:

• Camera hardware upgrade, 1-inch sensor or better telephoto hardware (a la Oppo Find X9 Ultra)
• Bigger batteries, maybe by way of silicon-carbon – especially now that Samsung is on board
• Matte all the things, I’ve already talked about how good the base model feels with matte, and Google seems to finally understand Pro users want matte rails too

There are a million other little things you could change, and I’m sure someone will comment on this very article about how Google should go back to Snapdragon.

But if you could pick a single thing for Google to bring to the Pixel 12 – something realistic – what would it be? What’s the one feature that would push you over the edge on next year’s release? Drop a comment below and let us know – or come chat in our 9to5Google Pro Discord channel if you feel so inclined.

All of that said, I’m personally excited for Pixel 11, but I’m more than ready for it to just feel like a redo of last year. Who knows, maybe Google kept something a surprise… lol no.

Google’s Pixel 11 event takes place on August 12 – stay tuned for our full coverage!

This Week’s Top Stories

Got your Pixel leaks right here

Of course, Pixel leaks remain in full swing, and there’s plenty we didn’t talk about above. Here are some of the key Pixel 11 and Pixel Watch 5 leaks from this week:

• Google Contacts reveals what colors Pixel 11 HiLight will support
• Matte black Pixel 11 Pro shown off in detailed images [Gallery]
• Pixel Watch 5 leaked marketing images surface one week before launch
• Leak confirms Pixel 11 ‘Glow’ is called ‘HiLight’ and what it can do

Meanwhile, we also got confirmation that Google’s star-studded Pixel 11 launch event will be hosted by Trevor Noah.

Android gets a new Canary release

The Android Canary 2608 release dropped this week, bringing two new features with it. One is a new way to customize Quick Settings on Pixel phones, and the other is a feature called “App Handles” which improves multitasking on foldables.

• Android Canary 2608 lets you customize Quick Settings layout on Pixel
• Android’s upcoming ‘App Handles’ will bring clever multitasking to Pixel Fold [Video]
• Google working on AI-generated lockscreen clocks for Pixel

Goodbye Google Assistant

The time is here. Google Assistant is officially shutting down on Android on September 4. Google confirmed the date this week, and not everyone is happy about it.

• Google Assistant shutting down on Android and Wear OS in September
• Hey Google, Assistant isn’t going away quietly

More Top Stories

• Galaxy Z Fold 8 is a smash hit; shipping dates slip, 3x higher pre-orders than Fold 7
• Lenovo’s full-size Googlebook leak offers a closer look at hardware [Gallery]
• Here’s the first Asus Googlebook as the floodgates start to open
• Google Health 5.05 rolling out: Apple Health sync & bug fixes
• Google Clock 9.0 adds stopwatch and timer Live Updates
• OnePlus 15 and more have fully sold out in the US following shutdown
• Notability app makes the jump from iOS to Android, and it’s 25% off to celebrate
• Nothing’s new CMF Clip Pro earbuds are $99 with open-ear audio and a clever case
• Demis Hassabis no longer DeepMind CEO to focus on new AGI role, Jeff Dean departs
• UAG fixed my biggest Galaxy phone complaint with the Z Fold 8
• Nothing says it plans to release six smartphones next year, ‘wider range’ of devices

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