Your Google Pixel just got a surprising amount of new features – including Pixel 11, Pixel 10 and even older handsets

Google's November Pixel Drop even brings Gemini Intelligence to older models

Google Pixel 11 Pro review
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
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Google has just pushed out its latest Pixel Drop, with a surprising update for Pixel 10 owners especially – although there are also updates right back to the Pixel 6.

The headline news for Pixel 10 users is that this update brings Gemini Intelligence. This raises the baseline for supported Gemini elements, with features such as Rambler, personalised suggestions, and agentic handling of multi-step tasks.

The feature was first launched on the Pixel 11, but now comes to Pixel 10, while it's also on Samsung's latest folding phones and the forthcoming Motorola Signature 27.

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As detailed in the official Google blog post, the Create My Widget feature will let you describe what you want a widget to do and drop it on your home page.

Rambler is designed to clean up your dictated messages, taking into account pauses, changes you make, and removing any ums and errs.

For multi-step tasks, Gemini can now handle those, such as making a reservation or ordering a delivery. The update expands the feature to the UK, Japan and India, too.

There are also summaries, so that long conversations can be quickly glanced at without having to re-read the whole thing.

Additional Pixel Drop features for Pixel 11 and other devices

For those with a Pixel 11, Call Screen now gets more conversational and less robotic, so when a call comes in that you prefer to screen, the experience will be better for the caller. You get a full live transcript on the screen so you can decide whether to take the call or not.

Messaging also gets a lift for those with the Pixel 11 Pro, where the HiLight will glow if a message comes in from one of your favourite contacts. It's nice to see HiLight actually doing something, although these still feel like baby steps.

Finally, all Pixel owners back to Pixel 6 benefit from an expansion of Google Search that becomes more universal, searching across your phone to surface photos, messages, calendar events and settings.

Regular Pixel Drops provide Google with a way to update devices with new features outside of bigger Android version changes. That means that Pixel devices often feel fresh, because there are regular tweaks, rather than a single, annual update.

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Chris Hall
Freelance contributor

Chris has been writing about consumer tech for over 15 years. Formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Pocket-lint, he's covered just about every product launched, witnessed the birth of Android, the evolution of 5G, and the drive towards electric cars. You name it and Chris has written about it, driven it or reviewed it. Now working as a freelance technology expert, Chris' experience sees him covering all aspects of smartphones, smart homes and anything else connected. Chris has been published in titles as diverse as Computer Active and Autocar, and regularly appears on BBC News, BBC Radio, Sky, Monocle and Times Radio. He was once even on The Apprentice... but we don't talk about that.

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