Google asks Pixel Superfans for help with new hardware design

Who doesn’t love access? Being able to attend an exclusive event, or getting your hands on a limited-availability product can be a real rush. The tricky bit, so often, is getting yourself into those kind of special groups in the first place. Google has its own exclusive society of Android smartphone enthusiasts, the Pixel Superfans, and this week we’re feeling especially jealous at the level of access we hear they’re getting.

We only just got our hands on new Pixel 10 hardware — with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold in particular just arriving a few days back — and now we’re already looking forward to Pixel 11-series devices. Bloomberg reports that Google’s been in touch with its Pixel Superfans recently, looking for a select few to help offer feedback on future Pixel hardware.

If that sounds familiar, it probably should, as we told you about a similar effort Google was up to with its Superfans last spring, when we were looking forward to the Pixel 10. That time, the company was interested in 25 Superfans attending a hands-on event, and invited them to answer a few questions to evaluate what they might bring to the program.

Now, though, Google’s back at it, this time looking for just 15 Superfans to join its Trusted Tester program — an even more exclusive bunch. And while we suppose it’s possible that the hardware they end up sharing their feedback on is the handset that will become next year’s Pixel 11, we wouldn’t bet on any big juicy leaks stemming from this program — Google intends to restrict all participants with an NDA, to say nothing of how we’d imagine it would be pretty easy to trace a leak from a source in this tiny group.

With all that in mind, the news is somewhat of a tease — unless you’re a very lucky Superfan, you’re not going to be getting any first-hand access here. Still, it’s nice to dream about, isn’t it, and wonder what it might be like to be part of that special group?

Members of the press aren’t permitted to join, so we’re out of luck, but if you think that label fits you pretty well you should absolutely apply to join yourself. Who knows; you might just end up invited to participate in an early hardware preview one day, too.