Pixel 11 leak spotlights HiLight and charging puzzle

Leaked Google Pixel 11 promotional material has revealed a rear notification system called HiLight while casting doubt on an eye-catching claim that one model can reach 55% battery capacity after five minutes of charging.

The apparently official marketing images describe HiLight as a discreet illumination feature that activates when the handset is placed face down. It is expected to signal calls from selected contacts and interactions with Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence assistant, giving users information without requiring them to check the display.

Google has not confirmed the leaked specifications or the charging figure. The Pixel 11 series is scheduled to become available for pre-order on 12 August, when the company is expected to detail the new phones, their pricing and regional availability.

HiLight appears to be the final branding for a feature previously referred to in leaks as Pixel Glow or Gemini Glow. Images indicate that the lighting element is integrated around or close to the rear camera bar, rather than installed as a separate notification lamp.

The system would mark the return of a hardware-based alert mechanism that was once common on Android phones. Earlier devices used small notification LEDs to indicate missed calls, messages and battery status, but manufacturers gradually removed them as edge-to-edge displays and always-on screens became standard.

Google’s approach appears more ambitious. The multicolour lighting could distinguish between contacts, applications or Gemini activity, although the range of customisation remains unclear. Its usefulness may depend on whether users can control brightness, colours, schedules and application permissions.

The feature also places the Pixel 11 closer to rivals that use external lighting as part of their identity. Nothing’s Glyph Interface employs rear LEDs for notifications, timers and charging information, while gaming phones have used illuminated logos and camera modules primarily for visual effect.

For Google, HiLight could serve both practical and branding purposes. Pixel phones have increasingly been positioned as physical extensions of Gemini, and an illuminated indicator would make the assistant’s activity visible even when the screen is facing down. It could also help distinguish the Pixel 11 from predecessors that are expected to share broadly similar designs.

The greater uncertainty surrounds the charging advertisement. One leaked panel states that the phone can reach 55% in five minutes, with fine print apparently referring to the use of a 30-watt USB-C charger. That combination is difficult to reconcile with the energy required by a modern smartphone battery.

A handset with a battery near 5,000 milliampere-hours would need roughly 10 watt-hours of stored energy to move from empty to 55%. Delivering that amount within five minutes would require an average input considerably above 100 watts before accounting for conversion losses, heat management and the reduction in charging speed that normally occurs as the battery fills.

A 30-watt adapter could theoretically supply no more than 2.5 watt-hours during five minutes under ideal conditions. The energy actually retained by the battery would be lower because charging circuits are not perfectly efficient. The claim may therefore contain a typographical error, refer to a longer period, describe battery life gained rather than percentage restored, or belong to an unfinished marketing draft.

Charging performance also depends on the initial battery level, device temperature, background activity, cable capability and the power profile negotiated between the phone and adapter. Manufacturers typically test fast-charging claims under controlled conditions, often starting with a nearly depleted handset and disabling functions that generate heat.

Google’s current charging guidance supports 30-watt, 45-watt and 67-watt USB-C adapters, as well as compatible Programmable Power Supply chargers. Existing Pixel models regulate the power they accept rather than drawing an adapter’s full rated output continuously.

The Pixel 10 Pro XL supports wired charging approaching 40 watts, while other models operate at lower peak rates. Competing flagship phones using charging systems above 100 watts can restore large portions of their batteries within minutes, but they require specialised adapters, cables, battery designs and thermal protections.

Beyond HiLight and charging, the Pixel 11 range is expected to include the standard model, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro XL and Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Leaked materials point to a thinner camera bar, batteries designed for more than 30 hours of normal use and continued integration of Gemini across photography, communication and device management.