Tag Archives: Pixel

Happy 5th birthday, Google Assistant!

We launched Google Assistant five years ago — and back then, it sometimes felt a bit strange to ask our devices for help. Now, digital assistants are part of daily life for millions of people around the world. In fact, Google Assistant has helped answer billions of questions, send millions of messages, make millions of recipes, set billions of reminders and much more (hands-free!).

In its early days, Assistant offered just two voices, was available on Google Home speakers in the U.S. and supported English and German on Pixel phones. Now, Assistant is available in over 90 countries in nearly 30 languages, offers 10 voices to choose from and works with more than 100 million smart home devices, including lights, security systems and thermostats.

Try asking “Hey Google, Happy Birthday” or “Hey Google, how old are you?” for a timely surprise. To continue the celebration, members of the Google Assistant team share some of their favorite features and advancements from the past five years.

Supporting more complex, contextual and helpful conversations

Dave Orr, Group Product Manager, Natural Language Processing

Google Assistant brings together all the technology Google has been building for years, from the Knowledge Graph to Natural Language Processing. One of my proudest moments working on the team was when we applied BERT, the revolutionary neural transformer invented by Google in 2018, to Assistant conversations, helping Assistant understand context and longer dialogs, making conversations more natural.

Advancing and expanding AI capabilities

Lisa Huang, Group Product Manager, Duplex

A major milestone for me was when we introduced Duplex for Google Assistant three years ago — revolutionizing the ability for computers to understand and generate natural speech. It meant Assistant could make a phone call on your behalf for an appointment, find store hours or make online food orders easier. In fact, more than 600,000 reservations at restaurants and hair salons were made last month with this feature. Throughout the pandemic, Duplex made millions of calls to businesses for store hours and delivery availability, in Maps and Search.

Building a more inclusive Assistant

Beth Tsai, Director, Policy

One of the things I love most about Assistant is how intentional we’ve been about inclusivity. For example, we don’t think of Assistant as having any particular gender, which is reflected in its name. When you set up your Google Nest device, we randomly assign a voice, so you have a 50/50 chance of getting one of two voices — either the “red” voice or the “orange” voice. We don't formally designate voices as being "male" or "female," but you can think of the “red” voice as traditionally female sounding, and the “orange” voice as traditionally male sounding.

Bertrand Damiba — Group Product Manager, Language, Translation, Routines & Recommendations

I’m really proud of how our team mobilized to support and educate users around the Black Lives Matter movement through inclusive content. We also added the ability to say “Hey Google, what happened today in Black history?” and “Hey Google, what happened today in Latino history?”

Sheenam Maheshwari — Product Manager, Text-to-Speech

We’ve been working on adding Text-to-Speech voices for Google Assistant that can fluently speak and understand more than one language, even within one utterance (or code-switching) — they’ll launch in the coming days. Check out a preview of the new English-Spanish bilingual voice when you ask Assistant about Latino history. Names will even be pronounced in a more authentic Spanish accent. We’ll add support for English-Hindi and other common language pairs where code-switching often occurs later this year.

Designing a private Assistant from the ground up

Bryan Horling — Software Engineer, Privacy

A highlight from my time on the team was when we launched Guest Mode. Just say, “Hey Google, turn on Guest Mode,” and your Google Assistant interactions will not be saved to your account. Another way we’re helping users manage their data is with voice actions: You can say “Hey Google, delete my last conversation” or “Hey Google, delete everything I said to you this week” and Assistant will delete activity from your account.

Google Assistant is built to keep your information private, safe and secure. As always, users have control over how Google Assistant handles their data and the features they choose to use. You can do things like review, delete or turn off Web and App Activity, limit audio recordings or turn off ads personalization.

Creating more secure, optional personalized experiences

Nino Tasca — Group Product Manager, Speech

It was really exciting to be the first to introduce the technology that lets users teach a digital assistant to recognize their voice with Voice Match. You can choose to train Google Assistant to recognize your, your kids’ and whoever else’s voice you share a home with so everyone gets personalized responses. We built on this with Face Match, which means your device can recognize when you walk up to it and present a personalized display, or media — like your calendar or upcoming package deliveries.

Hands-free help while driving

Effie Goenawan — Product Manager, Auto

We just launched several new Google Assistant updates for cars, and I personally love that you can say "Hey Google, pay for gas" to complete your transaction from Android Auto or from your Android phone. And starting to roll out today, you can say “Hey Google, let’s drive” to access a new dashboard for Google Assistant driving mode on your phone or automatically launch it in your car via Bluetooth.

Helping families throughout their day

Brad Abrams — Group Product Manager, Family

At the onset of the pandemic, I quickly learned my family needed help keeping on track. One of my favorite productivity features is Family Bell. I use it on my smart speakers and smart displays to remind me it’s time to make dinner, or for my kids to take a break and stretch.

Building the smart home of the future

Michele Turner — Sr. Director, Product Management, Smart Home Ecosystem

One of the most exciting milestones for me was when Google and other leading tech companies came together to develop Matter, a protocol that simplifies smart homes by using one standard across the industry.

A redesigned Assistant for the phone

Luv Kothari — Senior Product Manager, Mobile

I personally enjoy calling features like Call Screen and Hold for Me where Assistant manages tasks over the phone. And our recent breakthroughs in on-device speech processing means that more requests can happen right on your Pixel, making Assistant faster and many device-level queries like “take a selfie,” “open Chrome,” “turn on flashlight” work even without an internet connection.

Video celebrating 5 years of Google Assistant
10:25

Happy 5th birthday, Google Assistant!

We launched Google Assistant five years ago — and back then, it sometimes felt a bit strange to ask our devices for help. Now, digital assistants are part of daily life for millions of people around the world. In fact, Google Assistant has helped answer billions of questions, send millions of messages, make millions of recipes, set billions of reminders and much more (hands-free!).

In its early days, Assistant offered just two voices, was available on Google Home speakers in the U.S. and supported English and German on Pixel phones. Now, Assistant is available in over 90 countries in nearly 30 languages, offers 10 voices to choose from and works with more than 100 million smart home devices, including lights, security systems and thermostats.

Try asking “Hey Google, Happy Birthday” or “Hey Google, how old are you?” for a timely surprise. To continue the celebration, members of the Google Assistant team share some of their favorite features and advancements from the past five years.

Supporting more complex, contextual and helpful conversations

Dave Orr, Group Product Manager, Natural Language Processing

Google Assistant brings together all the technology Google has been building for years, from the Knowledge Graph to Natural Language Processing. One of my proudest moments working on the team was when we applied BERT, the revolutionary neural transformer invented by Google in 2018, to Assistant conversations, helping Assistant understand context and longer dialogs, making conversations more natural.

Advancing and expanding AI capabilities

Lisa Huang, Group Product Manager, Duplex

A major milestone for me was when we introduced Duplex for Google Assistant three years ago — revolutionizing the ability for computers to understand and generate natural speech. It meant Assistant could make a phone call on your behalf for an appointment, find store hours or make online food orders easier. In fact, more than 600,000 reservations at restaurants and hair salons were made last month with this feature. Throughout the pandemic, Duplex made millions of calls to businesses for store hours and delivery availability, in Maps and Search.

Building a more inclusive Assistant

Beth Tsai, Director, Policy

One of the things I love most about Assistant is how intentional we’ve been about inclusivity. For example, we don’t think of Assistant as having any particular gender, which is reflected in its name. When you set up your Google Nest device, we randomly assign a voice, so you have a 50/50 chance of getting one of two voices — either the “red” voice or the “orange” voice. We don't formally designate voices as being "male" or "female," but you can think of the “red” voice as traditionally female sounding, and the “orange” voice as traditionally male sounding.

Bertrand Damiba — Group Product Manager, Language, Translation, Routines & Recommendations

I’m really proud of how our team mobilized to support and educate users around the Black Lives Matter movement through inclusive content. We also added the ability to say “Hey Google, what happened today in Black history?” and “Hey Google, what happened today in Latino history?”

Sheenam Maheshwari — Product Manager, Text-to-Speech

We’ve been working on adding Text-to-Speech voices for Google Assistant that can fluently speak and understand more than one language, even within one utterance (or code-switching) — they’ll launch in the coming days. Check out a preview of the new English-Spanish bilingual voice when you ask Assistant about Latino history. Names will even be pronounced in a more authentic Spanish accent. We’ll add support for English-Hindi and other common language pairs where code-switching often occurs later this year.

Designing a private Assistant from the ground up

Bryan Horling — Software Engineer, Privacy

A highlight from my time on the team was when we launched Guest Mode. Just say, “Hey Google, turn on Guest Mode,” and your Google Assistant interactions will not be saved to your account. Another way we’re helping users manage their data is with voice actions: You can say “Hey Google, delete my last conversation” or “Hey Google, delete everything I said to you this week” and Assistant will delete activity from your account.

Google Assistant is built to keep your information private, safe and secure. As always, users have control over how Google Assistant handles their data and the features they choose to use. You can do things like review, delete or turn off Web and App Activity, limit audio recordings or turn off ads personalization.

Creating more secure, optional personalized experiences

Nino Tasca — Group Product Manager, Speech

It was really exciting to be the first to introduce the technology that lets users teach a digital assistant to recognize their voice with Voice Match. You can choose to train Google Assistant to recognize your, your kids’ and whoever else’s voice you share a home with so everyone gets personalized responses. We built on this with Face Match, which means your device can recognize when you walk up to it and present a personalized display, or media — like your calendar or upcoming package deliveries.

Hands-free help while driving

Effie Goenawan — Product Manager, Auto

We just launched several new Google Assistant updates for cars, and I personally love that you can say "Hey Google, pay for gas" to complete your transaction from Android Auto or from your Android phone. And starting to roll out today, you can say “Hey Google, let’s drive” to access a new dashboard for Google Assistant driving mode on your phone or automatically launch it in your car via Bluetooth.

Helping families throughout their day

Brad Abrams — Group Product Manager, Family

At the onset of the pandemic, I quickly learned my family needed help keeping on track. One of my favorite productivity features is Family Bell. I use it on my smart speakers and smart displays to remind me it’s time to make dinner, or for my kids to take a break and stretch.

Building the smart home of the future

Michele Turner — Sr. Director, Product Management, Smart Home Ecosystem

One of the most exciting milestones for me was when Google and other leading tech companies came together to develop Matter, a protocol that simplifies smart homes by using one standard across the industry.

A redesigned Assistant for the phone

Luv Kothari — Senior Product Manager, Mobile

I personally enjoy calling features like Call Screen and Hold for Me where Assistant manages tasks over the phone. And our recent breakthroughs in on-device speech processing means that more requests can happen right on your Pixel, making Assistant faster and many device-level queries like “take a selfie,” “open Chrome,” “turn on flashlight” work even without an internet connection.

Video celebrating 5 years of Google Assistant
10:25

“Hey Google, read with Reese’s Book Club”

As a young girl growing up in Venezuela, I had an insatiable appetite for reading. From fictional novels to computer science manuals, you name it, I would read it. Books allowed me to get lost in other worlds, expand my imagination and ultimately inspire me to dream bigger. These days, you can catch me reading with my two young kids or when I take some quiet “me time” on the weekends.


That’s why I’m delighted that Google Assistant has partnered with Reese’s Book Club to offer a hands-free, immersive reading experience on Nest smart speakers, smart displays and Assistant-enabled mobile devices in English-speaking countries across the globe. Assistant users can now discover Reese Witherspoon’s monthly book picks, take a quiz for personalized book recommendations and get exclusive commentary about each book pick from Reese herself.
A GIF of the new Reese’s Book Club reading experience available on Google Assistant.

Google Assistant has partnered with Reese’s Book Club to offer a hands-free, immersive book curation experience.

To get started, simply say “Hey Google, read with Reese’s Book Club” on your Assistant-enabled device.

You can easily link your account if you’re an existing Reese’s Book Club member —  or sign up with your Google account if you’d like to join. And you can still access this great content even if you aren’t a member: In addition to checking out the current and previous month’s book picks, you can find out why Reese recommends a particular monthly book pick, or hear her personal book reviews. And if you want to read the full book, simply head to Google Play Books to make a purchase. You can also add books to your “book pile” so you can better keep track of what you’d like to read next. 


What I like most about the book club is that each monthly book pick features interesting and diverse narratives from a female perspective. I can’t wait to read with Reese and hope you enjoy it just as much as I do.

Pixel and Android Enterprise connect National Australia Bank

Supporting the mobility needs of our employees has long been a top priority at National Australia Bank. As the IT team for a leading bank in Australia, we want our colleagues across all levels of the company to have secure access to the information they need.

When recently evaluating our device strategy, we wanted to reduce the time and costs of supporting legacy devices and multiple platforms. Pixel devices managed with Android Enterprise have been key to this strategic shift, benefiting our customer support teams who spent much of the last year working from home while continuing to support our customers remotely. 

Rapidly enabling teams

The IT team issued more than 2,000 Pixel devices to our customer contact teams, enabling them to continue serving customers remotely at the start of the pandemic. Vodafone helped rapidly launch the solution, using zero-touch enrollment to quickly set up devices with the necessary applications and configurations.

With zero-touch enrollment, each Pixel setup was 20 minutes faster than our previous device enrollments, saving our IT team and colleagues over 500 hours during the initiative. With our communication and collaboration apps available right out of the box, our teams could get to work right away to help customers.

Our contact center teams use Pixel devices that are fully managed, which allows us to provide the necessary security controls, and wipe and re-enroll them when transferred to a new employee. Branch Managers use Pixels with the work profile, separating work and personal applications. This gives employees the ability to use the device in a personal capacity while our IT team manages and ensures data security over the work profile.

Our IT team has received positive feedback from employees about their experience with the work profile. The simplicity and clear separation between work and personal profiles is a great benefit for those who want to build better balance into their day. Moreover, our IT admins have the security tools necessary to safeguard critical data. 

With managed Google Play, we have flexibility to assign the needed apps to our managed devices, whether they’re fully managed or using the work profile, through the admin console. Providing our teams the flexibility to assign apps to the right teams is a major time saver and ensures everyone has the resources they need. Branch managers can look up customer service records or answer a ping more quickly from their Pixel, instead of returning back to their desk and logging back on to their desktop computer. Android Enterprise has been a catalyst in a more mobile and responsive environment for our various teams.

Simplified management and security

Given the security requirements of the financial services industry, protecting customer data and preventing leakage is critical. Pixel security updates from Google provide a reliable cadence of ongoing protection as threats evolve, and the work profile hits the right balance between security and privacy for our teams.

The combination of zero-touch enrollment, consistent security updates and integration with device management tools has been a driving force for our IT team. We see Android Enterprise as a key component to our mobility strategy, providing the flexibility and security our teams require.

Pixel Buds A-Series: Rich sound with an iconic design

When we first introduced our truly wireless Pixel Buds, we aimed to pack plenty of functionality into a surprisingly small product. Now, we’re making that same premium sound quality, along with hands-free help from Google Assistant and real-time translation.


Introducing Pixel Buds A-Series: rich sound, clear calls and Google helpfulness, all in a low-profile design, for ₹ 9,999.


A premium audio experience


Our research shows that most people describe great sound as full, clear and natural. This is what guides our audio tuning process and shows up in other devices, like Nest Audio. And Pixel Buds A-Series are no exception. Custom-designed 12 mm dynamic speaker drivers deliver full, clear and natural sound, with the option for even more power in those low tones with Bass Boost. 


To experience the full range of the speaker’s capabilities, especially in the low frequencies, a good seal is essential. We’ve scanned thousands of ears to make Pixel Buds A-Series fit securely with a gentle seal. In order to keep the fit comfortable over time, a spatial vent reduces in-ear pressure. 


Each earbud also connects to the main device playing audio, and has strong individual transmission power, to keep your sound clear and uninterrupted.

The stabilizer arc ensures a gentle, but secure fit while spatial vents prevent that plugged ear feeling.


Sound quality can also be affected by your environment.  The new Pixel Buds A-Series come with Adaptive Sound, which increases or decreases the volume based on your surroundings. This comes in handy when you're moving from the quiet of your home to somewhere noisy like a city street, or while jogging past a loud construction site.


And your calls will have great sound, too. To make sure your calls are as clear as they can be, Pixel Buds A-Series use beamforming mics to focus on your voice and reduce outside noise, making your calls crystal clear (though of course, overall call quality depends on signal strength, environment, network, and other factors). Once your call is over, quickly get back to your music with a simple “Ok Google, play my music.”



Stylish and hardworking 


For Pixel Buds A-Series, we wanted to bring back the iconic Clearly White, but added a twist with new gray undertones. We use nature for inspiration in our colors all the time, and our design team was looking to create soothing tones that evoke a sense of comfort and relaxation.   


Pixel Buds’ design is inspired by the idea that great things can come in small packages: Pixel Buds A-Series include up to five hours of listening time on a single charge or up to 24 hours using the charging case. And with the ability to get a quick charge — about 15 minutes in the case gives you up to three hours of listening time — you can keep listening anywhere.1 


They’re comfortable enough for those long listening sessions, and don’t worry if some of that time is devoted to a sweaty workout or a run in the rain: The earbuds are also sweat and water-resistant.2 



Hands-free access to the best of Google 


Google Assistant is built right into the Pixel Buds A-Series. You can get quick hands-free help to check the weather, get an answer, change the volume, or have notifications read to you with a simple “Ok Google.” 


You can do more than just ask questions, though — for example, you can get real-time translation in more than 40 languages (including Bengali, Hindi, and Tamil) right in your ear while using a Pixel or Android 6.0+ phone. Say “Ok Google, help me speak French” to start a conversation. For more information, including available languages and minimum requirements, visit  g.co/pixelbuds/help. 


Pixel Buds A-Series work with any phone running bluetooth as standard wireless earbuds, delivering a quality listening experience. Features like the Google Assistant, Fast Pair, Find my Device, Adaptive Sound, and more work on all Pixel and Android devices running Android 6.0+.


Pixel Buds A-Series will be available for purchase on 25th August 2021 at Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and Tata Cliq, and will be coming to more retail outlets subsequently.


Posted by Austine Chang, Product Manager


1. All listening times are approximate and were measured using music playback with pre-production hardware and software, with fully charged Pixel Buds A-Series and case, and other features disabled. Case is used to recharge Pixel Buds A-Series when their batteries are depleted. Charging times are approximate. Use of other features will decrease battery life. Battery life depends on device, features enabled, usage, environment and many other factors. Actual battery life may be lower.

2. Pixel Buds A-Series (earbuds only) have a water protection rating of IPx4 under IEC standard 60529. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and may be compromised by normal wear and tear, repair, disassembly, or damage.

Get to know the Pixel 5a with 5G, arriving on August 26

Introducing Pixel 5a with 5G, the latest A-series Pixel phone from Google with many of the helpful features users have grown to love (and a few new hardware additions) all at a more affordable price. The phone arrives on August 26 and includes IP67 water resistance, a powerful battery, Pixel's impressive dual camera system and a whole lot more — you can pre-order it now for $449.  Here's what you can expect:

An owner of the new Pixel 5a with 5G phone pulls it out while waiting on the bus.

It’s water-resistant, so it can take a splash or a spill

For the first time ever within the A-series of Pixel devices, we’re adding IP67 water and dust resistance.1 Take your Pixel 5a with 5G wherever you go —  it’s ready for action.

The new Pixel 5a with 5G phone has water droplets on it, showcasing the first-ever IP67 rating for A-series phones, providing water and dust resistance.

Capture life at its fullest with our incredible camera

The Pixel 5a with 5G features our high-performing dual-camera system, with a rear-facing ultrawide lens that captures a huge field of view. Portrait Light helps you get the light just right on a face, and Cinematic Pan keeps your video steady and smooth. Using Night Sight with astrophotography, you can easily capture everything from city lights to the moon and the stars.

  • A photo captured using Night Sight with Astrophotography shows a brightly lit car at night while also capturing the vivid stars above in the sky.
  • A video captured with Cinematic Pan shows a dog running in the water at the beach with stabilized video movement.
  • A photo taken with the Ultrawide lens in the Pixel 5a with 5G captures a large canyon and river with a person posing atop the cliff.
  • A photo shows a woman's face illuminated by Portrait Light, a new feature that helps adjust the light on a person's face.

Impressive battery and display

Get ready to experience a large, capable battery to power your biggest adventures. With features like fast-charging and Adaptive Battery, your phone will be ready all-day, especially when you need it most. With Extreme Battery Saver, it can last even longer - up to 48 hours on a single charge.2

All of that power helps deliver breathtaking graphics on our 6.34-inch OLED bezel-less screen.

Nonstop entertainment with 5G

Pixel is your go-to for all the things you love with 5G speed.3 Download up to 70 songs in seconds.4 With Stadia, you can start playing games on your TV or laptop and keep going on Pixel, or enjoy gaming on the go using superfast 5G.5 With Duo Screen Sharing in HD, everyone on your call can view the same video, watch live sports together and make plans like you’re actually in the same room.

Plus, you get a whole lot more than just a phone when you purchase the Pixel 5a with 5G. Owners can enjoy entertainment, games, apps and extra storage with three month trials of YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass and Google One. And if you buy a Pixel 5a with 5G on the Google Store in the U.S., you get a three month trial of unlimited calls and texts on Google Fi, on us. Learn more at g.co/pixel/5aoffers.

A person holds their new Pixel 5a with 5G phone on top of their desk and an electric keyboard while it's charging via USB-C.

The Pixel 5a with 5G has a Snapdragon® 765G 5G Mobile Platform, Titan M security module for on-device security, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The experience just keeps getting better over time with feature drops, which add new ways to do things on your Pixel phone.

It’s all packed into a single new color, Mostly Black, with forest green undertones and an olive-colored Power button. Protect your Pixel with a new case offered in four different colors. Each case color creates unique shades for personalization.

Four Pixel 5a with 5G phones are shown, each equipped a case showing all four colors that are launching.

Pre-order Pixel 5a with 5G today in the U.S. and Japan

Pixel 5a with 5G is available for pre-order today in the U.S. and Japan on the Google Store. In the U.S., Google Fi offers the Pixel 5a with 5G for pre-order at full price or through its phone subscription program, which includes the phone and device protection for just $15/mo.6 The unlocked phone works on all major carrier networks in the U.S. and Japan.

On August 26, the Pixel 5a with 5G will start shipping from the Google Store, as well as via Google Fi in the U.S. and SoftBank in Japan.

A chart compares the hardware and software features available between the Pixel 5, 5a with 5G, and 4a phones.





  1. Pixel 5a with 5G has a water protection rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Charger and accessories are not water and dust resistant. Water and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and may be compromised due to normal wear and tear, repair, disassembly or damage.
  2. Maximum battery life based on testing using a mix of talk, data, standby, and use of other features. Battery life depends upon many factors and usage of certain features will decrease battery life. Pixel 5a with 5G battery testing conducted by a third party in California in early 2021 on pre-production hardware and software, using default settings. Testing conducted on two major carrier networks using Sub-6 GHz non-standalone 5G (ENDC) connectivity. Actual battery life may be lower.
  3. Requires a 5G data plan (sold separately). 5G service not available on all carrier networks or in all areas. Contact carrier for details. 5G service, speed and performance depend on many factors, including carrier network capabilities and signal strength. Actual results may vary. Some features not available in all areas. Data rates may apply. See g.co/pixel/networkinfo for info.
  4. Download speed claims based on testing music files from popular streaming platforms.  Average download time was less than 1 second per song.  Download speed depends upon many factors, such as file size, content provider, carrier, and network connection.  Testing conducted in an internal Sub-6 GHz non-standalone 5G  network lab and on pre-production hardware in California in early 2020. Actual download speeds may be slower.
  5. Enabling gameplay with cellular data may increase your mobile data usage up to 2.7GB/hr. Gameplay is service-, network-, connection-, and game-dependent, and may not be available for all games in all areas. Users may experience inconsistent gameplay. See g.co/stadia/data for more information. Stadia requires account creation.
  6. Price shown does not include Fi service costs, taxes, or gov’t fees. See g.co/fi/subs-tos for full terms.

Where there’s a new Pixel, there’s a new Pixel case

A new Pixel is coming: Today we announced that the Pixel 5a with 5G lands on August 26. And that means...new Pixel cases are also on their way. The latest lineup has it all — they’re made sustainably, super protective, stylish and affordable.

Protection that’s as good as it looks

The case we’ve created for the Pixel 5a 5G helps guard your device from scratches, bumps, drops and everyday life. It’s made from shock-absorbing materials, so you have one less thing to worry about. And that premium protection comes at an affordable price — it’s a  lifesaver for your Pixel and your wallet. 

Four Pixel 5a with 5G phones are shown, each equipped with one of the four new cases that are launching.

Show off your colorful side

The Pixel 5a case comes in four color options: Black Moss, Maybe Moon, Likely Lime and Partially Pink. With a range of light and dark shades, the latest designs give you new ways to personalize your Pixel and protect your phone beautifully.

A photo shows the hands of two designers, holding the inner layer of phone case prototypes, working on product sketches and comparing materials.

Mindful materials 

Sustainability is at the core of our products, literally in this case — even small sustainable choices can add up to have a big impact. That’s why we aim to design Made by Google products to maximize the use of recycled materials. Our newest line of Pixel cases is no exception. The inner layer of the cases for the Pixel 5a with 5G is made from 75% post-consumer recycled plastic, and in total, each case is composed of over 34% recycled plastic by weight.

A Pixel 5a with 5G lays display side down, on a shelf alongside a bowl, sunglasses, and other small items. The device is covered by the Partially Pink case.

Design you can depend on

Our cases feature a new, double-layered construction that’s molded to perfectly fit your Pixel 5a with 5G, without adding excessive bulk. Because life is always in motion, caring for your case is as easy as wiping it with a clean cloth. Over the course of designing these cases, we conducted more than 5,000 hours of quality and reliability stress testing to measure how well they stood up to high temperatures, harsh chemicals or physical impact. All to build a case that can work as hard as you. 

You can preorder the new Pixel 5a Case for $29 on our Google Store today.

Inspired by her ancestors, artist Ryhia Dank creates Pixel wallpapers

We respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to building a brighter future together. 

At Google, we have a vision of empowerment and equitable opportunity for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to building Reconciliation through Google’s technology, platforms and people.

Today is the United Nations International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. In acknowledgement of the day and as a reflection of Indigenous Peoples contributions to our world, Google is launching a collection of new wallpapers on Pixel devices. These wallpapers were designed by Ryhia Dank – a Gudanji and Wakaja woman from Garranjini in the Northern Territory, Australia – whose paintings tell stories and pay respects to her heritage. 

Pixel’s Curated Culture collection of wallpapers celebrate different cultural moments throughout the year, and this collection includes colorful images that represent Ryhia’s story and land. We sat down with Ryhia to hear how her Country and ancestors inspire her work. 

  • Regenerate Wallpaper on Pixel 5

    "Burning off on country sees a contrast of red earth, black trees and green growth.” Painted by nardurna, Gudanji, NT Australia

  • Waterways Wallpaper on Pixel 5

    “Country has its fill of water, rivers and creeks are flowing creating new pathways.” Painted by nardurna, Gudanji, NT Australia

  • Elements Wallpaper on Pixel 5

    “This piece reflects People, Kangaroo Tracks, Water, Fire and Earth. All coexisting.” Painted by nardurna, Gudanji, NT Australia

Ryhia, tell us a bit about yourself and where you’re from. 

I am from Garranjini (Barkly Tablelands, Northern Territory, Australia) and my Kujiga is connected to Marrambarna songline. I am a Gudanji and Wakaja woman. 


So much of your artwork and the Pixel wallpapers you created are focused on the elements and the earth. What are you finding inspiration in now with the world around you? 

I find it very interesting the way the environment comes and goes into favor and the disjoint between human bodies and the earth body. As a Black woman, my body is as entangled with my Country as it is possible to be and it is also that entwined relationship that inspires me. If we think about the amazing body which is the earth, that body is the first one which we should always hold sacred. Once we damage that body, the damage to our human body is tenfold. I am inspired by the earth body — the whole of the earth body and not just my backyard. My Country inspires the grounding and informs my knowledge and acts of recording my storywork.


You call your painting “storywork.” What stories inspired you to create these wallpapers?

My ancestors didn't make art. They produced images and icons which told stories and taught us who and how we are. There is an important shift in aesthetics in the understanding that my images are storywork. My images act in the same way that an alphabet does — they hold secret and not-so-secret knowledge.

What wallpaper is on your phone? 

My current wallpaper is actually a collection of stickers I sell; they’re a part of a campaign I started to raise awareness of fracking on my Traditional land, something that directly impacts my Country. 


However, if I were to choose one of my Pixel artworks as a wallpaper, I would have Waterways. This one reminds me of fishing with my Mimi as a child on Country, a memory I treasure. 


Check out more of Ryhia’s work and try out the latest Curated Culture wallpapers on your Pixel today.

Inspired by her ancestors, artist Ryhia Dank creates Pixel wallpapers

We respect and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders past and present. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to building a brighter future together. 

At Google, we have a vision of empowerment and equitable opportunity for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to building Reconciliation through Google’s technology, platforms and people.

Today is the United Nations International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. In acknowledgement of the day and as a reflection of Indigenous Peoples contributions to our world, Google is launching a collection of new wallpapers on Pixel devices. These wallpapers were designed by Ryhia Dank – a Gudanji and Wakaja woman from Garranjini in the Northern Territory, Australia – whose paintings tell stories and pay respects to her heritage. 

Pixel’s Curated Culture collection of wallpapers celebrate different cultural moments throughout the year, and this collection includes colorful images that represent Ryhia’s story and land. We sat down with Ryhia to hear how her Country and ancestors inspire her work. 

  • Regenerate Wallpaper on Pixel 5

    "Burning off on country sees a contrast of red earth, black trees and green growth.” Painted by nardurna, Gudanji, NT Australia

  • Waterways Wallpaper on Pixel 5

    “Country has its fill of water, rivers and creeks are flowing creating new pathways.” Painted by nardurna, Gudanji, NT Australia

  • Elements Wallpaper on Pixel 5

    “This piece reflects People, Kangaroo Tracks, Water, Fire and Earth. All coexisting.” Painted by nardurna, Gudanji, NT Australia

Ryhia, tell us a bit about yourself and where you’re from. 

I am from Garranjini (Barkly Tablelands, Northern Territory, Australia) and my Kujiga is connected to Marrambarna songline. I am a Gudanji and Wakaja woman. 


So much of your artwork and the Pixel wallpapers you created are focused on the elements and the earth. What are you finding inspiration in now with the world around you? 

I find it very interesting the way the environment comes and goes into favor and the disjoint between human bodies and the earth body. As a Black woman, my body is as entangled with my Country as it is possible to be and it is also that entwined relationship that inspires me. If we think about the amazing body which is the earth, that body is the first one which we should always hold sacred. Once we damage that body, the damage to our human body is tenfold. I am inspired by the earth body — the whole of the earth body and not just my backyard. My Country inspires the grounding and informs my knowledge and acts of recording my storywork.


You call your painting “storywork.” What stories inspired you to create these wallpapers?

My ancestors didn't make art. They produced images and icons which told stories and taught us who and how we are. There is an important shift in aesthetics in the understanding that my images are storywork. My images act in the same way that an alphabet does — they hold secret and not-so-secret knowledge.

What wallpaper is on your phone? 

My current wallpaper is actually a collection of stickers I sell; they’re a part of a campaign I started to raise awareness of fracking on my Traditional land, something that directly impacts my Country. 


However, if I were to choose one of my Pixel artworks as a wallpaper, I would have Waterways. This one reminds me of fishing with my Mimi as a child on Country, a memory I treasure. 


Check out more of Ryhia’s work and try out the latest Curated Culture wallpapers on your Pixel today.

Google Tensor debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall

In 2016, we launched the first Pixel. Our goal was to give people a more helpful, smarter phone. Over the years, we introduced features like HDR+ andNight Sight, which used artificial intelligence (AI) to create beautiful images with computational photography. In later years, we applied powerful speech recognition models to build Recorder, which can record, transcribe and search for audio clips, all on device.

AI is the future of our innovation work, but the problem is we’ve run into computing limitations that prevented us from fully pursuing our mission. So we set about building a technology platform built for mobile that enabled us to bring our most innovative AI and machine learning (ML) to our Pixel users. We set out to make our own System on a Chip (SoC) to power Pixel 6. And now, years later, it’s almost here. 

Tensor is our first custom-built SoC specifically for Pixel phones, and it will power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro later this fall.

Google Tensor

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro debut this fall, and that’s when we'll share all the details we normally release at launch like new features, technical specs and pricing and availability. But today, we’re giving you a preview of what’s to come. 

Industrial design

These new phones redefine what it means to be a Pixel. From the new design that combines the same beautiful aesthetic across software and hardware with Android 12, to the new Tensor SoC, everything about using the Pixel is better.

We also upgraded the rear camera system. The improved sensors and lenses are now too big to fit into the traditional square — so the new design gives the whole camera system a new home with the camera bar. 

Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have new materials and finishes, too — like the Pro’s light polished aluminum frame, and the 6’s matte aluminum finish. And they both feel great in your hand. 

Material You

Google announced Android 12 and the new Material You design language at Google I/O. With Material You, we’re mixing color science with years of work in interaction design and engineering. These UI updates are grounded in the new animation and design framework — to make using your Pixel feel incredibly natural because everything runs smoothly on the Tensor chip. 

Tensor 

Tensor was built for how people use their phones today and how people will use them in the future. As more and more features are powered by AI and ML it’s not simply about adding more computing resources, it’s about using that ML to unlock specific experiences for our Pixel users.


The team that designed our silicon wanted to make Pixel even more capable. For example, with Tensor we thought about every piece of the chip and customized it to run Google's computational photography models. For users, this means entirely new features, plus improvements to existing ones. 


Tensor enables us to make the Google phones we’ve always envisioned —  phones that keep getting better, while tapping the most powerful parts of Google, all in a highly personalized experience. And with Tensor’s new security core and Titan M2, Pixel 6 will have the most layers of hardware security in any phone**.


You’ll see this in everything from the completely revamped camera system to speech recognition and much more. So whether you're trying to capture that family photo when your kids won’t stand still, or communicate with a relative in another language, Pixel will be there — and it will be more helpful than ever. We look forward to sharing more about Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro later this year. 


* These devices have not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission or other regulators. These devices may not be sold or otherwise distributed until required legal authorizations have been obtained

**Based on a count of independent hardware security subsystems and components.