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This article is also available in English. It was translated with technical assistance and reviewed by the editors before publication.
Don’t show it anymore.
The Pixel 11 series will be launched on August 12, Google confirmed last week. Now the manufacturer starts teasing new features almost a month before the event. In a short video on the Google Store, Google highlights the LED light in the camera element, which appears to replace the thermometer that has been integrated into Pro models for several generations.
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Get out the thermometer
With this LED light shown in the store, it’s unlikely that Google is simply bringing back the notification lights that were integrated into many smartphones as standard years ago, although the light could serve that function as well. The manufacturer is known for sometimes equipping its smartphones with playful gadgets that are not necessarily suitable for everyday use. With the Pixel 4, Google integrated gesture controls based on Project Soli, a mini-radar that was unreliable and had no practical use. In the Pixel 8 Pro, Google built a thermometer on the back panel, which almost no one used.
For AI? Pixel 11 with LED lighting in the camera element.
(Image: Google)
With the Pixel 11, Google appears to be banishing the temperature sensor from its new devices and is now replacing it with an LED light that has been rumored for a while now under the name “Pixel Glow.” Google hasn’t revealed specific use cases yet, but it’s possible that this feature could tie into future AI features; after all, Pixel 11 devices will likely be the first to have Gemini Intelligence on board, including agent capabilities.
“Pixel Glow” for Gemini Intelligence?
The LED tail light could be a physical addition to the Halo feature that Google announced during I/O 2026. Halo is a notification at the top of the smartphone screen that shows when an agent is active.
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“Pixel Glow” for Laptops: Google is bringing a “glow stripe” to Googlebooks.
(Image: Google)
LED lighting will also be integrated into Googlebooks, expected in the fall, Google’s new line of Android laptops with Gemini built-in. Google calls it a Glowbar and could possibly perform similar functions to the LED backlighting on the Pixel 11 series. We won’t know anything concrete about this until August 12th.
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