Google unveiled Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, Pixel 11 Pro Fold, Pixel Watch 5, and Pixel Buds Pro at its Made by Google event August 12. The star AI feature: SL2T (Sign Language to Text), a breakthrough model from Google DeepMind that converts American Sign Language directly to English text in real-time, enabling Deaf and hard-of-hearing users to sign directly into Gboard and Live Transcribe instead of typing.
SL2T debuts first with ASL-to-English on Pixel 11, with Google DeepMind committing to expand to other countries' sign languages. The feature will also roll out to other Android devices beyond Pixel. The Pixel Watch 5 adds blood pressure and insulin resistance tracking (coming later this fall); Pixel Buds Pro receive modest upgrades including improved ANC and sleep-auto-detect. Pixel 11 colors include olive, canyon, and fog, with an all-matte black Pro option.
The sign-language AI addition signals Google's push to make accessibility features core to product design, not afterthought tooling. For 70 million deaf and hard-of-hearing people globally, real-time sign-to-text in mainstream devices represents a rare moment where AI deployment directly addresses an underserved user base—a counterweight to the prevailing narrative of AI as productivity tool for tech workers.