The Google Pixel 11 series won’t arrive for several months. But some rumors are already circulating about Google’s next flagships. And one of these rumors concerns the design that Google could offer on these devices. Apparently, this year, the firm could make an important change, directly inspired by one of its competitors: Nothing. As a reminder, the young brand, founded by Carl Pei (the co-founder of OnePlus) stood out thanks to its atypical designs. And one of the distinctive elements of Nothing devices is the presence of light indicators on the back (called Glyphs), which allow, for example, the user to be alerted if they receive an important notification.
According to an article from Android Authority, Google designers were inspired by this idea from Nothing, by developing a new feature called Pixel Glow. While Google has just launched the Beta 4 version of Android 17, the site reportedly dug into it and found mentions of Pixel Glow, as well as a description. This would evoke a feature that “uses subtle light and color” on the back of the smartphone to inform the user of important activities, if the device is placed face down on a table.
Nothing’s ideas are validated, sales are up
As usual, this information should be considered with caution, since there has not yet been an official announcement or teaser. But it is entirely possible that, seeing the success of the Nothing brand, Google decided to take one of its best ideas. For the moment, sales of Nothing smartphones are still quite low, compared to those of major brands, such as Samsung, Apple or Xiaomi. Nevertheless, independent data indicates that this young manufacturer is growing.
In its report on smartphone shipments in 2025, Counterpoint Research noted that while Nothing is not in the global Top 5, its shipments increased by 31% year-over-year. And this growth continued at the start of the year, since another report from Counterpoint mentions growth of 25% (year-on-year) in the brand’s shipments, in the first quarter of 2026.
At a time when the memory shortage is putting the market in difficulty, Google is doing well too. Indeed, Counterpoint Research indicates that Google Pixel shipments increased by 14% year-over-year during the first three months of the year.
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