Google Pixel 11 Preorders Include Up To $350 In Gift Cards

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. —

Google opened preorders this week for its Pixel 11 phone lineup, offering buyers gift cards worth up to $350 depending on which model they choose, according to The Verge. The phones ship August 20, 2026.

The base Pixel 11 starts at $899 and comes with a $100 gift card. The Pixel 11 Pro starts at $1,099 and the Pro XL at $1,299, each bundled with a $200 gift card. The foldable Pixel 11 Pro Fold starts at $1,899 and includes a $350 gift card, The Verge reported. Amazon, Best Buy and the Google Store are all running the promotion, though only Google has listed an end date, August 27, 2026. Buyers who also want the new Pixel Watch 5, which starts at $399, can put the gift card toward the watch instead and get an extra $50 in value, The Verge reported. Buy a Pro Fold and the base Pixel Watch 5 comes free.

Gemini At The Center

Google's pitch this year rests less on new hardware and more on artificial intelligence. Rick Osterloh, Google's devices chief, told CNBC that Gemini Intelligence marks a fundamental shift in how people will use their phones. "For the last 10 to 15 years, not a lot has changed in how you use laptops and mobile phones," Osterloh said, according to CNBC. "But we think that's about to change dramatically." He said Gemini could eventually become the main way people interact with their phones and laptops.

The launch comes weeks before Apple is expected to roll out a rebuilt Siri that also runs on Google's AI models, CNBC reported. Osterloh pushed back on the idea that Pixel and iPhone will offer similar AI experiences, telling CNBC the two products are "going in very different directions." Osterloh also said a shortage of memory chips is pushing hardware costs higher industrywide and that Google expects to raise its own prices further, CNBC reported.

TechCrunch reported that the Pixel 11's hardware changes little from last year's model, but Gemini can now handle tasks like ordering groceries, booking rides or making restaurant reservations on a user's behalf in the United States. The phones run Google's new Tensor G6 chip, which the company says browses the web 25 percent faster than last year's chip, according to The Verge.

Health Tracking Features

The Pixel Watch 5 adds a Breathing Emergency Detection feature that can flag drops in oxygen levels tied to choking, drug overdoses or severe pneumonia and can call emergency services automatically, Wired reported. The feature has not been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and will launch only in select European Union markets to start, according to Wired. Google is also bringing blood pressure and insulin resistance tracking to older Fitbit and Pixel Watch models this fall as part of a new "Health Guardian" feature set, Wired reported.