Pixel 11, Honor Robot Phone, Redmi 17 and the Biggest Smartphone Announcements

The smartphone world had a particularly busy week, with several major launches arriving across different price segments. Google officially introduced its Pixel 11 family and Pixel Watch 5, Honor unveiled a phone with a mechanical camera gimbal, and Xiaomi expanded both its affordable Redmi lineup and its flagship portfolio.

There was also plenty happening on the software side, with Xiaomi revealing HyperOS 4 and Sony reporting strong demand for its latest Xperia flagship. Here are the biggest technology stories from the week.

Google Pixel 11 Series Arrives With Tensor G6

Google's Pixel 11 lineup was one of the biggest announcements of the week. The company introduced the Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold, with all four models powered by Google's new Tensor G6 processor.

The Tensor G6 uses a 3nm manufacturing process rather than the 2nm process that had been widely rumored ahead of launch. The Pro models retain familiar screen sizes, with the Pixel 11 Pro featuring a 6.3-inch display and the Pro XL moving up to 6.8 inches. The larger model also gets a brighter panel.

Camera hardware remains relatively familiar on the Pro models. Both feature a 50MP main camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, a 48MP ultrawide camera and a 48MP 5x telephoto camera. The selfie camera is rated at 42MP.

The standard Pixel 11 gets a more noticeable camera change, with its main sensor increasing to 1/1.56 inches compared with the 1/2.0-inch sensor used previously. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold also gets a larger main camera sensor, although its battery capacity is slightly lower at 4,806mAh compared with 5,015mAh on its predecessor.

Pixel 11 Pricing and Availability

Google has positioned the new Pro models firmly in premium territory. The Pixel 11 Pro starts at €1,199 in Europe, while the Pixel 11 Pro XL starts at €1,399. Both models begin with 256GB of storage.

The Pixel 11 starts at $899, while the Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at $1,899 in the US. The foldable's international availability is expected to be more limited.

Pre-orders for the Pro models are already open, with general sales scheduled to begin on August 20. The Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold are also expected to become available from August 20.

Moving Your Data to a New Pixel

A new phone also means dealing with everything stored on the old one. Photos, videos, contacts, messages and other personal files can quickly turn a device upgrade into a much bigger task than expected.

Smart Transfer can make that transition easier by helping users move important content from an existing phone to a new device. Instead of manually searching through folders and moving clone phone files individually, users can bring over the content they actually want to keep and check everything before resetting their old phone.

This is particularly useful when moving a large photo library. A photo transfer process gives users a chance to organize important images before the old device is wiped, while also making it easier to continue using familiar content on the new Pixel without starting from scratch. The same preparation can be useful for messages and conversations, including a WhatsApp transfer, before trading in or passing on an older phone.

Honor Robot Phone Brings a Moving Camera

Honor had perhaps the most unusual smartphone announcement of the week with its Robot Phone, launched in China with a camera system unlike anything else in the company's current lineup.

The standout feature is a motorized four-degree-of-freedom titanium gimbal built into the rear of the phone. The mechanism houses a 200MP main camera with a 1/1.28-inch sensor and an f/1.6 aperture. It can automatically pan and tilt for stabilization as well as AI-powered subject tracking.

Honor has also fitted the phone with a 200MP 2.7x periscope telephoto camera and a 50MP ultrawide camera. The company partnered with ARRI for the video system, bringing features such as 10-bit ARRI LogC3 recording, ARRI Wide Gamut 3 and ARRI Looks.

The rest of the hardware is flagship-level too. The Robot Phone has a 6.31-inch 1Hz to 120Hz LTPO OLED display, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and a huge 7,060mAh battery.

The 12GB RAM and 512GB storage version costs CNY 9,999, while the 16GB/1TB model reaches CNY 12,999. Sales in China begin August 18, although Honor has not yet confirmed international availability.

Redmi 17 Series Targets the Affordable Market

Xiaomi also introduced the Redmi 17 5G and Redmi 17 4G, giving budget-conscious buyers two new options with large displays and substantial batteries.

The Redmi 17 5G uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6s Gen 4, while the 4G version relies on the MediaTek Helio G200 Ultra. Both models feature 6.9-inch 144Hz LCD displays, a 50MP main camera, side-mounted fingerprint readers and IP64 protection.

Battery capacity is one of the biggest highlights. Both phones pack a 7,000mAh battery, paired with 33W charging.

The phones run HyperOS 3 based on Android 16. Pricing starts at €249 for the Redmi 17 5G and €199 for the Redmi 17 4G, with availability expected to expand across European markets.

Sony Says Xperia 1 VIII Demand Is Strong

Sony has also reported encouraging sales for the Xperia 1 VIII, particularly among buyers choosing the higher-storage configurations and the new gold finish.

Sony continues to emphasize the features that differentiate its flagship from many competing smartphones, including its camera system, microSD card support and 3.5mm headphone jack. The company describes the latter two features as integral parts of the Xperia identity.

There is less positive news for fans waiting for another Xperia 5 model, however, as the smaller flagship line does not appear to be making a return anytime soon.

Xiaomi Reveals HyperOS 4

On the software front, Xiaomi announced HyperOS 4, which is based on Android 17. The new interface leans heavily into translucent, glass-inspired visual elements while adding more customization throughout the system.

The lock screen receives additional controls, allowing users to adjust the arrangement of the clock and notifications. Xiaomi is also introducing options to resize folders and group widgets.

Multitasking gets attention too. HyperOS 4 can transition more smoothly between portrait and landscape layouts, including floating applications that can rotate to match the orientation of the screen.

As expected, AI plays a significant role. Xiaomi says the system can predict which resources an application will need next and preload them into RAM, potentially making frequently used actions feel faster.

HyperOS 4 is expected to reach Xiaomi's newest devices first, with the rollout anticipated during summer 2026.

Redmi K100 Pro Series Pushes Flagship Hardware Further

Xiaomi also announced the Redmi K100 Pro and K100 Pro Max in China. Both models are built around Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 platform and feature exceptionally high refresh rate OLED displays reaching 185Hz.

The K100 Pro has a 6.59-inch display and an 8,580mAh battery, while the Pro Max increases the screen size to 6.9 inches and packs an enormous 9,070mAh battery. Both support 100W wired charging and 50W wireless charging.

Camera hardware separates the two models. Both feature a 200MP main camera with optical image stabilization, but the Pro Max adds a 50MP 5x periscope telephoto and a 50MP ultrawide. The standard Pro instead uses a 50MP telephoto and an 8MP ultrawide camera.

Other highlights include up to 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and IP66, IP68 and IP69 protection.

The Redmi K100 Pro starts at CNY 3,699, while the K100 Pro Max starts at CNY 4,499 for the 12GB/256GB configurations. Both models are currently exclusive to China, although reports suggest they could eventually appear internationally under Poco branding.

A Busy Week for Smartphone Fans

From Google's new Pixel generation to Honor's ambitious camera experiment and Xiaomi's increasingly powerful Redmi and K-series devices, this week's announcements show just how varied the smartphone market has become.

Google is leaning into its Tensor platform and Pixel software experience, Honor is experimenting with hardware that physically moves around the camera system, while Xiaomi continues pushing larger batteries and faster displays into increasingly affordable phones.

For consumers, that means the next phone upgrade is becoming less about choosing between a handful of familiar designs and more about deciding which approach to smartphones actually fits the way they use their devices.