Google Pixel 12 series: We look ahead to the 2027 flagship phones: A Practical Look
Google Pixel 12 series: In summary
- Google’s flagship phones for 2027
- Four models expected in the range
- Prices may start at £879/$899, but this could change
- Silicon carbon batteries might finally come to Pixel phones
- The mid-range Pixel 11a will launch before the Pixel 12 phones
- We’d like to see a rethink for the Pixel 12 Pro Fold and the HiLight feature
Although the Pixel 11 range is still new on the shelves, we’re starting to see a drip feed of rumours regarding next year’s crop of Google phones. If you’re thinking about holding off for another year before upgrading then here’s all we know so far about the upcoming Pixel 12 range.
At the time of writing, we’re still testing most of the Pixel 11 range (our Pixel 11 Pro Fold review is now live) and while there are definite incentives with the phones for anyone who might be thinking about picking up their first-ever Pixel device, they represent a fairly minor update over the previous range.
In a lot of ways, the Pixel 10 series of phones will be the better buy for quite a few people, particularly as they can now be found for a lot less than they originally went for at launch. It doesn’t help that the Pixel 11 phones are all more expensive at the time of launch too. With that in mind, our attention is now turning to the Pixel 12 range in the hopes that it might bring a few crucial upgrades that Google desperately needs to offer.
Here’s everything we know so far about the Pixel 12 phones, including when you might expect to see them, how much they could cost, and a wishlist of features that we would like to see.
When will the Pixel 12 be released?
In summary
- August 2027 reveal expected
- General release should be a few weeks after the reveal
Although we’re still a long way off from Google actually confirming when it’ll reveal the Pixel 12 range, it isn’t too hard to guess based on the fairly long-running precedent set by the company.
Assuming that the range follows in the footsteps of the last few generations that have preceded it, we can expect to see the Pixel 12 range get officially announced in August 2027, with a release date occurring shortly after.
For context, here are the release dates of previous Pixel phones:
- Pixel 11 – August 2026
- Pixel 10 – August 2025
- Pixel 9 – August 2024
- Pixel 8 – October 2023
- Pixel 7 – October 2022
Foundry | Alex Walker-Todd
How much will the Pixel 12 cost?
In summary
- Prices could start at £879/$899
- There’s always a chance of another set of price increases
The price of the Pixel 12 phones is something that could be in a constant state of flux in the run-up to their release.
As we already know, Google has implemented a price increase with the Pixel 11 as a response to the ongoing RAM crisis, which has had a significant effect on manufacturing costs across the industry.
The range now starts at £879/$899 and while the assumption is that Google will want to try and avoid raising the price two years in a row, it’s hard to say for certain given the constantly fluctuating state of the industry.
Chris Martin / Foundry
It has been reported that, potentially as a means of weathering the financial storm, Google is planning to move its manufacturing operation from China to Vietnam.
Of course, such a transition could be a costly affair in itself, but the hope is that it could at least lead to a price freeze for the immediate future, as there’s always a chance that the Pixel 11 phones could go up in price again during their lifecycle.
Here are the price tags for previous Pixel phones at launch:
- Pixel 11 – From £879/$899
- Pixel 10 – From £799/$799
- Pixel 9 – From £799/$799
- Pixel 8 – From £699/$699
- Pixel 7 – From £599/$599
Source: Nikkei Asia
What specs and features will the Pixel 12 have? (And what we want)
In summary
- Pixel 12 series could finally embrace silicon-carbon batteries
- We’ll see the Pixel 11a before the Pixel 12 range
- We want Google to double down on a big upgrade for the Pro Fold
- More use cases for HiLight wouldn’t go amiss
Silicon carbon batteries (finally!)
One of the ways in which the Pixel 11 could have tempted users is with a big battery upgrade, but unfortunately this didn’t really come to fruition, and in the case of the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, that phone actually has a smaller cell under the hood than its predecessor.
Well, things might be about to finally change with the Pixel 12 range as we now know that Google is investigating the use of silicon-carbon batteries.
For the uninitiated, this new type of battery design has allowed phones to ship with far higher capacities than usual, such as the OnePlus 15 and the Oppo Find X9 Pro which have 7300mAh and 7500mAh cells respectively.
Luke Baker
Given just how much we rely on phones for everything from banking payments to entertainment, having a bit of extra juice in the tank never goes amiss and this would help Pixel to more directly compete with a lot of Chinese brands that are absolutely running away with things where longevity is concerned.
Source: Android Headlines
The Pixel 11a is on the way first
Long before the Pixel 12 phones hit the scene, we will be greeted with the next version of Google’s mid-range phone, the Pixel 11a. Thanks to a recent leak, it now seems likely that the phone won’t succumb to any sense of chipset compromise that plagued the Pixel 10a, instead releasing with the same Tensor G6 processor found within the pricier Pixel 11 phones.
Weirdly, although a battery decrease might be on the cards for the Pixel 11a, the word is that thanks to the optimisations provided by the Tensor G6, it should actually allow the phone to last for longer between charges than the Pixel 10a. Of course, we won’t know how true this is until we get the phone in our hands, but it is an interesting idea.
Unfortunately, it does seem like the phone will skip having Google’s magnetic Qi2 charging method, so anyone who wants to enjoy the benefits of Pixelsnap will have to fork out for a pricier phone.
Opinion: Forget Pixel 11 – Pixel 11a is more exciting
Chris Martin / Foundy
What we’d like to see
One of the key differences between the Pixel 11 and the Pixel 10 is the addition of HiLight (previously known as Pixel Glow) to the back of the phone, which is used to let users know of incoming calls and interactions with Google Gemini… and that’s it.
To say the feature is half-baked is an understatement, and we’d like to see it expanded upon in the Pixel 12, if not before then.
Nothing’s Glyph Light system feels like the most obvious contender to imitate, as it can actually be used to signal a variety of things including charging status and certain notifications.
Outside of HiLight, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to say that the Pixel Fold range needs a complete rethink. Compared to offerings from Samsung and Honor, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold is too bulky, with a battery life that just doesn’t cut it. If Google wants to stand any chance of staying competitive in this arena, it needs to either go all in or simply sunset the range and focus its efforts elsewhere.
Luke Baker
On a final note, although it was one of the first non-Apple brands to truly embrace magnetic Qi2 charging, Google seems to have forgotten about Pixelsnap this year. Aside from introducing a few new colours of the rather wonderful Pixelsnap Ring, Google hasn’t introduced any new accessories that make use of the feature, which we feel is a real shame.
Right now, Pixelsnap is one of the best features of Google’s phones as it makes things like wireless charging on the go so much easier, and we’re surprised that the brand doesn’t make more of a fuss about it.
Our hope is that this is simply a blip and that Google will remind people of how handy Pixelsnap is with a new line of accessories alongside the Pixel 12.
That’s all for now on the Pixel 12, but be sure to check back as we regularly update this article over the next 12 months with new leaks and rumours as they appear.
