Google won't announce flip phones, tablets, or smart rings

Google unveiled six new products at its August 20 event: the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL , Pixel 10 Pro Fold , Pixel Watch 4 , and Pixel Buds 2a . In an interview with Bloomberg, three Mountain View company executives explained why flip phones, tablets, smart rings, and smart glasses will not be announced.

New Pixel designs every two to three years

The new Pixel 10s are virtually identical to the previous Pixel 9s. Users expected cosmetic changes to celebrate the device's tenth anniversary. Instead, the design has remained unchanged. Rick Osterloh , head of Google's hardware division, said the new features are under wraps. He's referring to the processor and other components, as well as the software. Essentially, Google is following Apple's approach.

Over the years, the Mountain View company has continued to improve the tight connection between hardware and software, increasing the use of artificial intelligence. Gemini is now ubiquitous in the Pixel 10, and new AI features, such as Magic Cue and Camera Coach , have been added.

Chief Design Officer Ivy Ross confirmed that a new design is introduced every two to three years. The Pixel 11 design has already been decided, while development for the Pixel 12 is underway. Executives admitted that the Pixel will never be a “big player” (units sold in the United States in the second quarter were around 800,000).

Shakil Barkat , Osterloh's deputy, said that Google will not make a flip phone , like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip or the Motorola Razr. The main focus is on improving the Pixel Fold. There are also no plans to launch a smart ring , while development of a new tablet has been put on hold .

Google announced Android XR in mid-December 2024. It is a new platform for XR (extended reality) headsets and AR (augmented reality) glasses. Osterloh, however, stated that the launch of smart glasses is not certain, despite several demonstrations of a prototype, the latest of which was at Google I/O 2025. Executives believe they can eventually be paired with a smartphone, but cannot completely replace it.