GoKawiil
Tech News
Google released Android Canary 2610, an experimental build that showcases upcoming Pixel customization options and notification features. The update hints at potential new ways for users to personalize their devices and manage alerts. Notably, the HiLight feature is absent in this release, suggesting it may be delayed or removed from this version.
Google's Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6.1 update lets the Pixel 11 Pro's HiLight LED flash twice when a favorite contact sends a message, a feature previously limited to calls and Gemini activity. The option can be toggled under Settings > System > HiLight or set per-contact, though no new LED colors are included in this beta. A stable version of Android 17 QPR2 is expected in December.
Android Authority found that Android 17 QPR2 Beta 5 expands Pixel HiLight's color options from five to nine, adding blue, cyan, green, orange, pink, purple, teal, white and yellow among the choices. The beta also contains code referencing 'LIGHT_ANIMATIONS_SETTING_FAVORITE_MESSAGES_ENABLED,' suggesting Google is developing support for message notifications through the Pixel 11 Pro's camera-ring lighting feature.
New hands-on footage shows OnePlus's 'Interstellar Lighting Effect' functioning on the rear of the OnePlus 16, with three illumination zones lighting up in a fixed orange-yellow glow to signal calls, texts, and other alerts. The feature appears limited to the Tomorrow's Starlight color option and pairs with a topographic-style pattern on the back panel that doesn't itself light up.
OnePlus has officially revealed the OnePlus 16's design and opened pre-bookings in China, showing off three color options and confirming RAM configurations of 12GB or 16GB paired with up to 1TB of storage. The phone retains the OnePlus 15's design language, including its camera module and button placement, while adding a new 'Interstellar Lighting Effect' on its back panel.
With the Google Pixel 11 series now available in bold colors and featuring a new HiLight LED on Pro models, reviewers have rounded up recommended protective cases for the phones. Options highlighted include the slim, protective Spigen Liquid Air and the grip-focused dBrand Grip Case, among several others covering different price points and styles.
Testing of the Pixel 11 Pro XL's new Extreme Charging feature found it sustains peak power output of around 41W for roughly 16 minutes, compared to 10 minutes in standard mode, cutting charging times as Google promised but at the cost of higher heat generation. The feature also proved finicky to activate, only appearing after two full charge cycles and a wait, and it requires a specific 45W USB PD PPS charger supporting 21V rather than the more common 11V PPS chargers.
Google has dropped the infrared temperature sensor first introduced on the Pixel 8 Pro, leaving it out of the newly launched Pixel 11 series. In its place, the company added a new notification light feature called HiLight, shifting the phone's differentiating hardware trick from a thermometer to a lighting cue.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold ships in just two colors and retains Google's asymmetrical hinge design, resulting in a noticeable crease and uneven thickness when unfolded. It features two bright OLED displays capable of 3,600 nits and 120Hz refresh rates, runs on the new Tensor G6 chip with up to 1TB storage, and adds a minor color-LED notification feature called HiLight.
Reddit users and Android Authority's own lux measurements indicate the Pixel 11 Pro's camera flash and flashlight are noticeably dimmer than the Pixel 10 Pro's, with one test showing 89 lux versus 123 lux. The likely culprit is a physical diffuser added around the camera visor to accommodate Google's new HiLight ambient LED array, which appears to soften the main flash's beam.