Here’s pixel 11 pre-orders are live – hours before Google’s launch
Google is set to announce its new flagship phone series today, Wednesday 12 August at 6pm ET/11pm GMT at its Made by Google keynote in New York.
But pre-orders for the brand-new devices have already started. It’s unusual to be able to order your device hours before the launch event even starts – but that’s what’s happening today. Google is happy for you to purchase Pixel 11 phones before they’ve even been announced on stage. You can head over to the Google Store now to get your order in.
You may even have a discount code available already. According to 9to5Google, Google has emailed out discount codes ahead of the launch. Typically, these have a value of $150, although some users seem to have been offered as much as $250 – or as little as $100. These can be stacked with store credit or any other vouchers you might have, but not with other offers. If you find a voucher in your inbox, you’ll have until 27 August to use it. Good luck!
Google is announcing four new phones today: the base model Pixel 11, the Pixel 11 Pro, the Pixel 11 Pro XL and the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. A new Pixel Watch 5, a new colour option for its flagship earbuds and a Pixel Tag tracker will also debut, although the Pixel Tag won’t be available to buy until November.
All Pixel 11 models run on the new Google Tensor G6 processor. Thanks to an upgraded CPU, Google promises 20% better power efficiency, 25% faster browsing and 15% faster app loading.
All phones start at 256GB of storage, which may help to offset the price rise on the cheaper models.
Pro models are getting a brand-new feature: HiLight. It’s an indicator light set around the camera flash that glows to alert you when a favourite contact gets in touch or when you’re interacting with Gemini.
Do we love this idea? The jury is still out.
Across all models, the biggest visual change is the redesign to the camera bar, but of course there are new colour options as well.
The regular Pixel 11 is available in four colour options: an understated Obsidian, Pistachio, a bold Hibiscus and Frost. Although the colours themselves had been leaked, the colour names are unexpected.
As we’ve come to expect, the Pro models come in a more muted palette: Canyon (the hero colour), Olive, Fog and an-all new matt Obsidian.
The not-so-great news is that there are year-on-year price rises across the board – but if you’re planning on buying any new phone this year, you should expect that anyway thanks to the ongoing RAM shortage.
- Pixel 11 (256GB) – £879/$899/€999
- Pixel 11 Pro (256GB) – £1,079/$1,099/€1,199
- Pixel 11 Pro XL (256GB) – £1,279/$1,299/€1,399
- Pixel 11 Pro Fold (256GB) – £1,799/$1,819/€1,999
To gen up on the new Pixel products coming out today, check out more of our coverage:
- Tech Advisor’s complete Pixel 11 roundup
- Google Pixel 11 Vs Pixel 11 Pro: 5 major differences
- Pixel Watch 5 ultimate guide
- Google Pixel Tag: 2 big caveats and one saving grace
- Pixel Watch 5 and Fitbit Air prove it’s time for a budget Google smartwatch
