In recent years, Google has increasingly been positioning its flagship Pixel phones around Gemini, its multimodal artificial intelligence chatbot. As the Mountain View-based tech giant continues to push AI across more of its products and services, the effect is now being strongly observed, especially in the new Pixel 11 series. There appears to be a noticeable change to its startup sequence, which marks a departure from a message that has appeared on Pixel phones for many years.
Gemini Ahead of Android on Google Pixel 11 Series
For years, Pixel phones have displayed a “Powered by Android” message towards the bottom of the screen shortly before the handset reaches the lock screen or home screen. On the Pixel 11 lineup, however, Google appears to have removed the familiar text in favour of its AI branding (via 9to5Google).
When you boot up the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL, or Pixel 11 Pro Fold, the phone features a Gemini-related animation. Even though the handsets are powered by the latest Android 17 OS, a new “Gemini Intelligence” branding is now displayed. With this change, the company is giving greater visibility to Gemini, even in one of the first interactions you might have with a Pixel phone.
Gemini Intelligence, not Android, on Google’s latest Pixel 11 series
The “Powered by Android” message, notably, has served as a visible reminder of the OS underpinning Pixel smartphones for years. Google is among the very few brands that offer a near-stock Android. Its removal from Google’s latest flagship phones, although a minor software change, seems to suggest that Gemini is now taking on an increasingly prominent role in the company’s not just software but hardware strategy, too.
During the keynote at the Made by Google showcase, the company heavily showcased the Gemini capabilities on its latest handsets. Rather than purely focusing on the core hardware, the flagship Pixel lineup is increasingly becoming a platform for Google to showcase its AI prowess.
Perhaps the most apparent evidence of Gemini shaping Google’s hardware strategy is in the form of the new HiLight on the Pixel 11 Pro, Pro XL, and Pro Fold models. It is a new visual indicator at the back of the phone which allows users to stay informed even when their handset is lying face down. It discreetly illuminates when a user receives a phone call or while they chat with the Gemini AI chatbot.
HiLight uses coloured LED lights built around the camera’s flash to deliver visual cues
Photo Credit: Google
The new Tensor G6 chip offers 50 percent more TPU compute, which, the company claims, enables on-device Gemini Nano tasks to run up to 3.5 times faster with significantly lower energy consumption. Gemini Intelligence can perform complex, multi-step actions across more than 40 supported apps. It can provide proactive assistance by surfacing glanceable cards with useful information in real time.
There are plenty of other features, too. The Pixel 11 series comes with Rambler, Magic Capture, AI-driven looks in the Camera app, Sign-to-Text (SL2T) AI, viewfinder search, and more.
As Google continues to onboard more and more AI features, Gemini seems to be rapidly becoming the more prominent consumer-facing identity associated with Pixel smartphones.
