What you need to know
- Google’s top executives stated in an interview that major design changes only happen every two to three years. The company is already planning new designs for the 2026 and 2027 Pixel models.
- Google is heavily focusing on software and AI as the main driver of change, rather than visual design changes.
- The tech giant says that the future of its hardware ecosystem is in devices like XR Glasses and foldables, which will be deeply integrated with AI.
- Google’s VP of devices and services confirmed the company is not currently working on a flip phone or a smart ring.
- Google has also “paused” future tablets (aka Pixel Tablet 2) until they can define a clear purpose for the product.
Google wrapped up its annual Pixel launch last week, and while we didn’t see a noticeable difference in the phones’ design, Google’s Senior VP of Devices and Services, Rick Osterloh, says it shouldn’t come as a surprise, as they don’t really change the Pixel’s design drastically every single year.
This year, Google marked its 10th anniversary since the first Pixel debuted, and while we were expecting to see a shift in design, all we got was a few new colors and similar-looking phones. In a lengthy interview with Bloomberg, Osterloh said the Pixel lineup improves by “about 30% each year.” Despite that, he says that this year’s launch is a “super strong release” in a “mature category.” Bloomberg says that the company has pretty much hit a “plateau when it comes to the design of the device, much like Apple.”
But the Chief Design Officer for consumer devices at Google, Ivy Ross, disagreed and said that visual changes are in the cards for Pixel devices. “Every two to three years, we look to try and do something with a new design language,” she said.
Ross also notes that Google is already finalizing the Pixel 11 series, set to launch in 2026, and has started working on the 2027 lineup of devices as well. Earlier this year, we were privy to some rumors about the Pixel 12 lineup and its internal codenames, but nothing yet about the phones’ design.
That said, while there may not be visual design changes in this model, Osterloh added that the real “change” in devices might show up in the software side of things, as we noticed in this year’s lineup as well. Google relied heavily on Gemini and other AI tools to up the ante on the Pixel 10 devices, with subtle hardware changes here and there.
“AI will become the way you interface with a phone to get something done,” Osterloh said. “That will then start to influence the design of it.”
Looking into the future, Osterloh says that we will definitely see more of this AI integration in its ecosystem, especially on the XR Glasses and foldables front. However, he reiterates the uncertainty on whether or not Google itself will release glasses again, saying it is still “TBD” (to be decided).
Finally, Shakil Barkat, VP, devices and services at Google, pretty much confirmed that Google won’t be pursuing a flip phone or a smart ring anytime soon. Additionally, it has temporarily halted its plans for its upcoming tablets. The company is rethinking the role tablets will play in the future until it finds a “meaningful future” for the category, according to Bloomberg. Hinting at the fact that the rumors about the Pixel Tablet 2 being cancelled might indeed be true.
