What you need to know
- Social media is buzzing after Google's I/O, but it's because users think it teased the Pixel 11 during the showcase.
- Google was busy showing off how Gemini Omni can alter reality for a video, and at the very end, the user's Pixel glows around its camera bar.
- Many think this could be the rumored Pixel Glow for the Pixel 11 series, but we're hesitating, considering the nature of the Omni showcase.
We're just starting to wind down from Google's (near) two-hour I/O livestream, but it looks like we're not done, as it might've teased the Pixel 11.
Android Central's Nicholas Sutrich spotted chatter on social media; people are buzzing, claiming Google's Gemini Omni portion teased the Pixel 11. This section was talking about how users can lean on Omni's video capabilities to "change reality with natural language." The model holds a Google Pixel sideways throughout the example, but at the very end, the space around its camera bar glows. An AI-generated disco ball accompanies this in the background.
Android Central's Take
Listen, if Pixel Glow was going to look like this, sign me up. This glow is crazy. It's bright, and eye-catching. Not sure if that's what everyone wants (or if that's what Google is going for). The idea that this could be a Pixel 11 teaser draws major hype. If Pixel Glow were to wrap around the entire camera bar like that, it would certainly catch consumers looking.
What theories are going crazy over is whether or not this was a sneak peek at Google's "Pixel Glow." We're a bit hesitant to side with these theories. The first is because the company was highlighting the many ways its AI could alter reality, and show items or aspects that were never there. Secondly, the Pixel that the model is using appears to be in a case—potentially this one, to be exact.
Now, could it be possible that Google tried to sneak one past us? Absolutely. It's also hard to tell (considering how glowy the light is) if the illumination is within the camera bar cutout or outside of it. This Pixel Glow rumor is exciting, but recent reports suggest it might not look like this AI showcase.
Lets pump the breaks
Rumors late in April claimed Google was working on a new feature for the Pixel 11 series called "Pixel Glow." It was discovered in its code that this would involve approximately eight LEDs and would function similarly to a light bar. Earlier rumors involved talks about the same thing for Google's next laptops, which we've seen announced as Googlebook.
Android Central's Take
It's these rumors that have me hesitant about what's going around online. Of course, I'd love it if Google would wrap its camera bar in Pixel Glow. Only time will tell, right? August three months away, so maybe. Just maybe.
For phones, Pixel Glow would offer glanceable information, which reminds us of Nothing's Glyph Matrix (or Bar). However, a major Pixel 11 leak earlier this month suggests it might not be a "light bar," but a small RGB LED array inside the camera bar. Google might discontinue its temperature sensor to fit this in for the next series. Little more information has been speculated about Pixel Glow. It seems safe to say Google's AI, Gemini, will likely have a lot to do with it, though.
